Escalation
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Calvin knew the accident wasn't his fault, and that there was nothing he could have done to change what happened. He knew it had all worked out. He knew no one blamed him.
1. Ready For Homecoming

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel._

Kelly was nervous. She couldn't pinpoint why exactly, but her nerves were playing up.

Summer Cove was hosting it's annual homecoming and as seniors, this was a big event for the Rangers. Not only that, but all the money raised from homecoming in ticket sales, raffles and fundraisers would go back to the school to help finish off some of the repairs that were still needed from the earthquake.

Essentially, this was a party to make their school better, so everyone was going. Kelly was no exception. Sarah had already asked to be her date, Kelly had a dress picked out, the night was going to be fun.

Still, Kelly was nervous.

Her old school also had homecoming dances. However, it was a much smaller school, where everyone knew everyone. Summer Cove was much bigger, and while Kelly was familiar with most of the faces in her grade, she hadn't really spoken to anyone except the Rangers unless it was school related.

In such a small school, everyone knew everyone's business. The year before, Kelly had to plan out her homecoming evening to be sure she wouldn't give herself away as a lesbian. She went with a group of friends and had pledged that she wasn't looking for a date, but rather, for a good time. She spent the whole night worried that people would start to talk, or that they would notice when her gaze lingered too long on a girl. She spent the night wondering if coming out would really be such a big deal and then imagining all the worst-case scenarios. By the time she came home that night, she was almost in tears, devastated that a night that was supposed to be about fun and letting go had become so consumed with self-hate and disgust.

Summer Cove was a much different school. Principal Hastings had fostered a much more inclusive environment. No one really cared who dated who, who brought who to dances, or who hung out with who. Though Sarah asking Kelly to homecoming hadn't been a big deal, other kids in the school knew she would be going with her girlfriend and no one bat an eye. And the Fosters had spoken to Kelly in the same way they spoke to Hayley about dates and about being safe.

"You look amazing," Hayley told her as she returned from the bathroom. Kelly looked down at her dress, smiled, and then returned the compliment to the white Ranger.

"Thanks. You look great too."

"I wore this dress to homecoming last year," Hayley said. "But Calvin loves it and I don't get many other chances to wear it."

"Well, you look hot," Kelly said and Hayley smiled. This also threw Kelly for a bit of a loop. Back at her old school, if she had ever muttered those words to another girl, they would tease her endlessly just for _acting_ gay. And once they found out she was a lesbian, they avoided her entirely. She was no longer invited to sleep overs, and the girls would all force her to clothes her eyes whenever they were changing for gym class. They insisted that Kelly was looking at them and wanting them.

Here, Kelly slept in the same room as Hayley, they got ready for school together, and Kelly had just called Hayley hot, and the white Ranger didn't even blink.

"Calvin's going to be here any minute," Hayley said as she checked the time. "Are you ready?"

"I think so," Kelly started to leave. Hayley raced after her.

"The corsage," she said and put the gift for Sarah in Kelly's hands. The green Ranger smiled.

"Thanks."

"Nervous, huh? Is this your first homecoming?"

"Uh… first with a date," Kelly said. "First homecoming where I've… come out."

"It'll be fine," Hayley assured her. "No one cares about that. You know, in a good way."

"Takes a little getting used to," Kelly nodded and they made their way downstairs just as Calvin arrived. The Fosters fussed over all three of the Rangers for a few minutes, insisting they all looked good, saying how perfect Hayley and Calvin were as a couple, and telling Kelly that Sarah was a lucky girl. Pictures were taken, then retaken, before finally the three of them could leave. Kelly hopped into Nitro's back seat and gazed out the window until Calvin called for her attention.

"You nervous?" he asked her. Kelly answered honestly with a nod. Calvin smiled into the rear-view mirror. "Hey, it's a fun night. Summer Cove throws the best dances. Just don't fill up on snacks, don't expect much from your dinner, it's never good, and don't drink the punch."

"Don't even taste it," Hayley added. "Everyone always spikes it and by the end of the night, it's always pretty much just alcohol."

"Good advice," Kelly noted. "Anything I should do?"

"Dance," Calvin nodded. "Just dance, all night. The teachers aren't strict, everyone looks like a fool and it's a time to have fun."

"Sounds good," Kelly smiled.

When they arrived at Sarah's house, Kelly hopped out of the truck then took a deep breath. Calvin stood next to with a bright smile.

"I was nervous too tonight," he told her and Kelly gave him a strange look. He had been dating Hayley for a couple of years now and he was still nervous about taking her to a dance. "Just remind yourself that she loves you and this part of the night will be over with before you know it."

"By this part, you mean…"

"The pictures, the mother, more pictures, the awkward ' _you look good', 'thanks so do you'_ , want to kiss her but it's weird with everyone watching part," Calvin said which caused Kelly to chuckle.

"Oh. That part."

"It's just part of the package."

"You ready?" Hayley asked and she and Calvin let Sarah lead the way to the door. She knocked and smiled brightly as Jenny let her in.

It was the same show as with the Fosters, and it was exactly what Calvin said. Jenny gushed over how good Kelly looked, then insisted on getting pictures with her and Sarah. Then she got pictures with all three of the girls and then the two couples together. Kelly muttered an awkward, though sincere, _you look good_ to Sarah, who responded in kind. Kelly desperately wanted to give Sarah a kiss, but thought it would be weird to do so in front of her mother.

"Okay, I think I've held you all up enough," Jenny finally said and there was a sigh of relief from the group. "Just, have fun, alright? Sarah, I trust you."

"Love you," Sarah called out and rushed out the door with her friends.


	2. The Dance

The lights were flashing and the music was loud. The Rangers had found their table and happily were all sitting together. Levi joined them, making a space at the table for himself. He had volunteered to be a chaperone at the party and had also volunteered to perform some song live.

"This is sweet," Brody said as he looked around. It was his first school dance and it was just like what he expected. Unfortunately, he didn't have a date, but that didn't stop him from having fun. He showed up for the night with Preston and Levi, and the three agreed to be each other's dates. Mostly, that meant if they wanted a dancing partner, they had to help each other out.

It wasn't long before Calvin and Hayley were on the dance floor and having fun. The DJ had played several dance tracks in a row to keep people moving and almost the whole school was on their feet. Levi had to excuse himself from the table to prepare for his own performance and Brody, eager to get the full experience, asked Preston to be his dancing partner until his brother could return.

Only Kelly and Sarah were left at the table, and Kelly could see that Sarah was eager to start dancing. However, she couldn't bring herself to invite her out. When some food came around, Kelly grabbed a handful and hoped that would keep Sarah from asking her onto the dance floor.

She was nervous about dancing with her girlfriend. She was nervous about what people would say. So far, the school was supportive and safe. So far, she had no reason to think anyone would want to mock, tease, or bully her. However, they had never actually seen her with Sarah. Their dates were private and if they were together at school, they could easily be mistaken as good friends since there was very little PDA.

Eventually, Calvin and Hayley walked over from the dance floor and Calvin asked Sarah if she wanted to dance. Excitedly, the pink Ranger got up to join the yellow Ranger while Hayley sat at the table to rest for a moment. She turned to Kelly with a little laugh.

"You're going to have to dance at some point," she said and Kelly was quick to pick up on their plan. "You're dating Sarah. She loves to move."

"I know, I know…"

"It's you're not comfortable, you don't need to worry. No one is looking at you," Hayley said, then gestured to the dance floor where Victor, as usual, was showing off. "He's getting exactly what he wants."

"All the attention," Kelly and Hayley said at once, then chuckled. Kelly shook her head.

"Okay, it's going to sound completely ridiculous," she said. "But… I don't want people talking."

"About what?"

"Me and Sarah."

"What's the worst they can do?"

"Disown me and beat her up in the middle of the streets," Kelly answered and Hayley frowned.

"Okay… well, since they've already done that…"

"It's just… it's scary. I know everyone here is cool but… I don't know what they could be thinking."

"So?"

"So, what if they… It's just…"

"Kel, you think Calvin and I never had to worry about what people think?" Hayley asked. "Everyone with eyes can see he's white and I'm not."

"Yeah, so?"

"You mean your homophobic parents weren't a little bit racist?" Hayley asked with a raised eyebrow and Kelly nodded her head.

"They were."

"So you know what I was worried about, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you know what I was scared would happen when I first met Calvin's parents, right?"

"They'd be like mine?"

"They weren't, fortunately," Hayley said. "And after getting to know them, it felt so weird to think that I was worried about them once. But there was a time where I was worried about what people thought. And then you know what happened?"

"What?"

"Nothing," Hayley shook her head. "I mean, sure we get the occasional stares. Sure, I hear some comments about us. Some people are betting against us and feel like they can stick their nose into our business just because they have an opinion, but I learned that none of that matters. Calvin and I love each other. Our families love us and they get along with each other. It doesn't matter what people, who have nothing to do with our relationship, think."

"You're right," Kelly conceded. It was a point she had always known, but she really felt she needed to hear it again.

"You've had a lot of worst-case scenarios happen to you," Hayley said and squeezed Kelly's hand. "So, it's normal that you're a little freaked out coming out again. But you know the school is safe, you know Calvin, Brody, Levi and I have your back. And you know, you're also here with one of the best dates in the school, right?"

"She's pretty incredible," Kelly smiled.

"She's been through a lot too," Hayley said. "And you know, she's not going to make you dance if you don't want to, but do you really want to go through this whole night without giving her one dance with the one person she really wants to be with?"

"I guess not," Kelly said, then pointed to the dance floor with a laugh, "Though, I have to admit, she and Calvin are really tearing it up."

Hayley chuckled as she watched Calvin and Sarah steal the spotlight from Victor with their dancing. Hayley had already known her boyfriend had been infected with the dancing gene. Though he didn't look it, he was a terrific dancer. It was often Hayley who couldn't keep up with him. And it didn't surprise her that Sarah had moves of her own. The pink Ranger had proven she was very gifted across many fields.

"You and I dance, then," Hayley said. "Dilute this same-sex relationship thing with a dance that's really just between friends and maybe people won't even notice when we go back to our partners. What do you think?"

Hayley got up and offered her hand, inviting Kelly to dance. The green Ranger smiled, then nodded and walked with Hayley onto the dance floor. For one song, they danced side by side with Calvin and Sarah, but as Levi came on the stage and started his mini-performance with a slow song, Calvin whisked Hayley away and Kelly was left with Sarah. She smiled as she took Sarah in her arms.

"Having fun?" she asked. Sarah nodded.

"I thought I'd have to beg you to come out here," she said. "What changed your mind?"

"I wanted to dance with my girlfriend," Kelly said. "You know, show her off a little bit. Make everyone else jealous. Maybe we can win best couple?"

"Maybe," Sarah said. "Though, we do have some pretty stiff competition."

"I'd be happy losing to Calvin and Hayley," Kelly shrugged, but Sarah shook her head and pointed over Kelly's shoulder. Kelly looked back and saw the slow dance hadn't steered Preston or Brody away from the dance floor as they held each other close and swayed. Kelly smiled and looked back at Sarah, "I'd be okay losing to them too. They're having a good time, at least."


	3. Driving Home

_Author's Note: Wow, it's been a while since I wrote one of these. Anyways, just a reminder, there is no need to write reviews asking me to update. Once a story is posted, you can guarantee that I've already finished writing it and everything is ready to go. And you have my guarantee that anything I post, I will update until it's complete. I do update when I find the time in my schedule to do so. Reviews asking me to post beforehand are often ignored, as they do nothing to speed up the process._

 _If you would like to see a chapter posted faster, you can keep my mind on Fanfiction in a very simple way. With a busy life and lots of other priorities to consider, sometimes days, and even weeks will go by where I don't even check this website and therefore, updating a story will slip my mind. By reviewing my stories and leaving me with your thoughts on my writing (positive or constructive), you remind me of Fanfiction and I may just make time to post the next chapter._

 _Anyways, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

The rest of the night was perfect. Once Kelly was out on the dance floor, she didn't return to her seat until dinner. She had a blast dancing with Sarah and the rest of the Rangers. She barely noticed as the night wore on and was shocked when the DJ announced it was time for everyone to start leaving.

She said goodbye to Brody, Levi and Preston, who were headed back to their house for the night then hopped into the truck with Calvin, Hayley and Sarah.

Calvin's first stop was to drop off Hayley and Kelly. He parked his truck in the driveway, then hopped out with Hayley to say goodnight and walk her up to the door. Kelly and Sarah hung back.

"Tonight, was awesome," Sarah smiled as she kissed Kelly. "You were the best date."

"I had fun," Kelly said. "I kind of wish we could do homecoming every week."

"I'd run out of dresses real fast," Sarah chuckled. "I only have a couple of these, you know."

"That's twice as much as me. Turns out, being disowned by your parents is a great way to clean out your closet."

Sarah smiled, then kissed Kelly goodnight before letting her go inside. She hopped into the truck with Calvin, who looked to her with a smirk.

"We're pretty lucky, aren't we?" he asked and Sarah nodded her head.

"I think it's a little more than luck."

"What was your favourite part?" Calvin asked and Sarah could only answer with a smirk. He nudged her.

"I thought I saw you two sneaking off…"

"It's not like that," Sarah shook her head, but the smile didn't disappear from her face. "We just needed a little quiet so we stepped out into the hallway until we caught our second wind. It was just the two of us and since we could still hear a little bit of the music we… danced. It was romantic."

"Why didn't I think of that," Calvin said with a laugh and then suddenly he felt Nitro spin as he lost control of the truck. He could hear crashing and crunching and glass shattering, but couldn't comprehend what happened until everything stopped. When he could open his eyes, he found himself upside down. It took him a minute to catch his breath before he realized he had been in an accident. Though he was turned over, he could vaguely see the car that hit him – a truck similar to his – as the driver and its passengers stumbled out. Calvin could barely make out who they were, but by the sound of their voice, they were drunk. He saw the heels, the suits and the dresses and realized they were students at his school.

All he could think about for a moment was the punch bowl, and how every year, at least a dozen students would spike it, creating a lethal poison.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then pat himself down, trying to feel for injuries. When he was sure he was okay (he had build Nitro to withstand accidents like this) he carefully undid his seatbelt and positioned himself right side up.

That's when he remembered Sarah, who was just coming to. She had been on the side of the truck that had been hit. Calvin knew not to move her, so he pulled out his phone to call 911. Before he could, though, he smelt gas.

"Violent, stuttering, rage or death," he said as he unfastened her seatbelt and pulled her out of the truck. "I know which I'd prefer."

He dragged her out of the truck and fortunately she was alert by the time he got her off the road. Since there was a car pulled over, Calvin assumed they were on the phone with 911 so he didn't bother making the call.

"Sarah?" he looked to her, checking up on the pink Ranger. When Viera had saved Sarah, she hadn't just brought her back to life. She reversed most of the damage to Sarah's head, curing her of her stutter and her unpredictable fits of rage. She was still left with a minor brain injury, and while it was only minor, it was still a concern.

"I'm okay," she told him, but Calvin wasn't immediately convinced.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"We were talking about homecoming and then… spinning," Sarah answered and Calvin nodded. His memories were the same. "Were we hit?"

"Drunk drivers," Calvin said. "Do you remember what city you're in?"

"Summer Cove."

"What's your Ranger colour?"

"Pink."

"What tool do you hit stuff with?"

"A hammer."

Calvin felt confident. He still wanted her to get checked out, but at least he felt a little better now.

A man, one of the witnesses to the accident, came over with his phone in his hand.

"An ambulance and the police are on their way," he said. "Are you kids okay?"

Calvin nodded, "Did you see who was in the other car?"

"I tried," the man said. "They drove off."

"Huh?" Calvin turned to where he had seen the other car and saw it was no longer in the street. It had taken off, leaving not a single trace. Calvin hadn't gotten a good look at the people, and hadn't been focused enough to catch the make or model of the car, or even the license plate. "Dammit."

"Tough luck, kid," the man said.

Calvin sighed. At the very least, he knew the kids went to his school and they had been at homecoming. Surely, that would help.

-Ninja-Steel-

It was calls like these that reminded Jenny why she hadn't wanted kids until Sarah. It was calls like these that got her second guessing her decision to marry a man with a child.

It was calls like these that could scare her wide awake, even out of the dead of sleep. These calls worked better than coffee for getting her out of bed and getting her focused.

She rushed into the hospital – an activity she did too much of since becoming a single parent – and immediately questioned the first staff member she could find.

"They're getting looked at," Jenny heard a man say and turned around to find Calvin's parents, whom she recognized from her last visit in the hospital when Sarah had also been hit by a car. They hadn't been happy with her because they had found out that Sarah had been the cause of all the scratches on Calvin's arms. Jenny couldn't blame the parents. If someone had torn her daughter's skin, she would want to yell at them too. "But from what we gathered, they're okay."

Jenny felt some relief wash over her hearing this, but she knew she wouldn't feel calm until she saw Sarah for herself.

"Tea?" Mrs. Maxwell offered. Jenny nodded and as he went to get her a cup, she turned to his wife.

"Did you hear how it happened?" she asked. All she knew was that she had received a call at one in the morning telling her that there had been an accident and Sarah was in the hospital. When she tried to press the police officer for more information, he told her to come to the hospital for the details.

"Drunk driver," Mrs. Maxwell answered as her husband returned with three cups of tea. "Calvin thinks it was kids from the school who had the punch."

"The punch?"

"Kids spike it every year. They think it's funny," Mr. Maxwell explained. "We made Calvin promise us he wouldn't drink it, and if he did, that he wouldn't drive home."

"Of course," Jenny nodded. She didn't want them to think she was accusing Calvin of anything. She had met the yellow Ranger and liked to think she knew him well enough that she could trust he would never do anything so stupid, especially with his friends and girlfriend in the car.

Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell looked relieved when Jenny didn't point the finger at Calvin.

"We're sorry," Mrs. Maxwell said. "About last time."

"Huh?"

"With Sarah scratching Calvin and the comments we made."

Jenny shook his head. That was so far down her list of concerns right now.

"It's fine."

"It was heat of the moment and… your son tells you some kid scratches his arms and you just get defensive, you know."

"Honestly, it's okay," Jenny assured them and the Maxwells smiled.

Finally, a woman came over to the three parents and took them down the hall to Sarah and Calvin. The Maxwell parents engulfed their son in a hug, relieved to see he was okay. Jenny hugged Sarah as well, but was quick to looked to her doctor.

"She's got…"

"TBI, we're aware," the doctor nodded.

"Is she…"

"I'm fine, mom," Sarah assured her. "Just a headache."

"Which we will need to monitor considering the TBI," the doctor said. "We're admitting her."

"But I'm fine," Sarah frowned and Jenny stroked her hair.

"We know that, but we just have to make sure."

"What about Calvin?" Mrs. Maxwell asked.

"Calvin is free to go," the doctor said. "We have some paperwork for you to fill out, and of course I do recommend you monitor him at home. If you notice anything unusual, please bring him back."

The Maxwells nodded and then went to fill out the form. When they were gone, Calvin turned to Sarah.

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Sarah muttered and crossed her arms.

"Anything I can do?" Calvin offered but Jenny shook her head.

"You go home. Get some rest."

"Are you sure?"

Jenny smiled and nodded. "Sarah will follow you out once she's been cleared."

Calvin gave a little nod as he hopped out of his bed. He gave Sarah a hug, apologized once more, and then again when Sarah told him he had nothing to apologize for. After, her went to find his parents.

Jenny said on the side of the bed and let out a sigh of relief. Then she turned to Sarah, "I think this is the part where I wrap you up in bubble wrap and never let you leave your room."

"I'm fine."

"I know you are," Jenny nodded. "But I was terrified. Phone calls in the middle of the night are never good news. Especially when it's the police calling."

Sarah had to concede to that point, and then sat in silence for a moment. Jenny tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Were you scared?" she asked. Sarah shrugged.

"Didn't know it happened until after. By then, Calvin already brought me to the side of the road."

"He pulled you out of the car?"

"He thought he smelled gas," Sarah said. "He didn't hurt me. And Nitro is tough so it took most of the hit."

"You got so lucky tonight, Sarah."

"I didn't drink. Neither did Calvin."

"I know. You're still lucky. I really don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. You are making me think about it more and more, though."

"I'm really trying not to."

"I know," Jenny said. "I guess that's just the price you pay when your kid is a Ranger."


	4. Calvin's Guilt

Calvin felt like a real douche. He knew he shouldn't. He knew the accident wasn't his fault, and that there was nothing he could have done to change what happened. He knew it had all worked out. He knew no one blamed him.

Still, he felt like a real ass when he had to walk into the Ranger base the following morning with nothing more than a few scratches and announce that Sarah wouldn't be joining them for training.

"Some kids drove home drunk," he said, his head hung low. "They came out of nowhere and ploughed right into Nitro. Sarah's got to stay at the hospital because of her head."

"But she's okay?" Kelly asked. Calvin shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean, she was when I left," he said and felt Hayley squeeze his hand gently. "And her mom stayed with her so…"

"Are you okay?" Brody asked. "How hard were you guys hit?"

"We rolled a couple of times," Calvin explained and saw the horrified looks on his friends faces. He knew it could have been worse, but he also knew it could have been better. If he had just seen the other truck coming, he could have avoided the accident all together. Kelly, Jenny, Sarah and all the Rangers had trusted him to get his friends home safe and he failed. "Nitro's built to take a hit but it was still tough. She's in the garage right now."

"We'll fix her up," Hayley promised, but Calvin shook his head.

"It's fine," he said, then looked to Mick, "Think, maybe, I can skip training today?"

Mick was quick to nod his head. It was evident to everyone that Calvin wasn't well and with the accident being less than twelve hours away, Mick didn't want to push the yellow Ranger.

"Rest up, alright. We're still six strong. Seven, once Sarah is back."

"I'll answer the com if you guys need me," Calvin said, "But please don't need me."

As he started to head off, Hayley followed him out. He was in the garage when she caught up to him and took his hands.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. This was the first she had heard of the accident and though she wasn't happy Calvin had waited to tell her, she could understand he had a lot on his mind. All she really cared about was that he was okay.

"Fine," he muttered, but Hayley knew him better than that.

"Hey, it's okay," she told him. "Best case scenario."

"Best case scenario would have been that the accident never happened," Calvin growled. "I should have seen them coming or… what the hell were they thinking driving like that? And then taking off?"

"I don't know," Hayley shook her head.

"She could have been hurt," Calvin said. "We don't have Viera to fix everything again! After what Sarah's been through, some drunk kids just… didn't think. They could have killed her."

"They could have killed you both," Hayley told him, though she wasn't sure that would help, she did hope it would remind Calvin that he was the victim here too. He had nothing to blame himself for. He did everything right. He didn't drink the punch, he didn't drive drunk, and after the accident happened, he got himself and Sarah the help they needed.

"They're idiots," Calvin muttered and Hayley nodded.

"Any leads on who they are?"

He shook his head. As far as he knew, the police were at a dead end. The plan was to investigate when school resumed on Monday, but without a description of the people, the car or the license plate, there really wasn't much they could do unless someone confessed.

This was the next part that made Calvin feel like a douche. He had seen the car, he had seen that they were kids from his school, but it didn't occur to him at the time to pay attention to detail. His focus had been on getting himself right side up and getting himself and Sarah to safety.

"It's okay," Hayley told him again and hugged him tight. "The important thing is you're both okay."

Calvin shook his head. He didn't know that yet.

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah sat in her hospital bed, twisting the Rubik's cube her mother had bought for her from the hospital gift shop. Jenny was out in the hallway, trying to get more information from the police about what happened.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thought. She thought it might be Jenny, or Kelly, or a doctor coming for a test. Instead, Calvin let himself in and looked to her sympathetically as he offered her a small container of ice-cream.

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

"If the food they serve here counts as real food," Sarah muttered and took the container with a smile. "You really are the best."

"I saw everyone at training," Calvin said and Sarah looked to the clock in her room. While the numbers were useless, she still knew how to read an analog clock from the position of the hands. She frowned when she saw that Calvin should have still been at training.

"Why aren't you with them?"

"Couldn't think straight," he said. "I asked Mick for the day off. And I told them what happened."

"How did they take it?"

"I'm sure after training you'll have a team of Rangers by your side," Calvin said with a chuckle, then he sat next to Sarah. "Hey, about what happened…"

"Can you believe it?" she asked him. "I mean, in this day and age, how can people still think it's okay to drink and drive? Idiots!"

"Yeah, about that…"

"I mean, don't even get me started on the under-age stuff. You want to drink before you're twenty-one, that's one thing, but if that's your plan, take a freaking Uber, right?"

"Yeah, but Sarah…"

"I mean, you did the right thing. You knew you'd be driving us home so you didn't even go near that punch bowl," Sarah said. "And thank god you didn't. Those asshats didn't even stick around after the accident to make sure we were okay. If you hadn't been completely sober, we might still both be in that truck."

"Sarah, I'm sorry," Calvin said. The pink Ranger looked to him in shock, then down at her ice-cream.

"This is strawberry, right?"

"I got the right flavour," Calvin assured her, to which she smiled. "It's the accident. I'm sorry."

"For…?"

"Well… it happened. You're here and…"

"You didn't do that," Sarah said. "Did you?"

"No. No, I didn't but…"

"It's the asshats who should be sorry," Sarah muttered. "Any idea who they were?"

"Still working on that," Calvin said. "Look, Sarah, I just… I feel like I could have done something different."

"They came out of nowhere," Sarah said. "One minute we're discussing homecoming and the next, you're dragging me out of the car because everything smells like gas. You got out. You got me out. We made it to the hospital… what more could you have done?"

"I just…" Calvin didn't get to finish as the ice-cream fell from Sarah's hand and her head dropped back into the bed. He watched her, terrified for a moment, before it occurred to him to call for the nurse. He then stepped back from the bed, completely disheartened. When a nurse rushed in, Calvin could barely babble out what he saw before he took off running.


	5. Leaving The Hospital

After witnessing Sarah's seizure, Calvin had enough. He rushed out of the hospital and just continued running until he found himself in an empty quarry. Since workers were now more focused on rebuilding the city after monster attacks, quarries like this one, where future developments were expected to go up, had been put on the back burner. There were no people around except for Calvin.

He tossed his data com to the ground and then stomped on it. He never imagined he would be the first Ranger to crack under the pressure, but here he was, destroying his only means of communicating with his team, well aware that doing so left him on his own.

Galvanax had buzz cams around the planet most of the time. It was his way of capturing every battle with the Rangers for his show. So, Calvin was sure it wouldn't be long before he was faced with a monster. He just hoped it would be the right one.

It wasn't long before a monster appeared in the quarry, though it wasn't Galvanax himself, or even Madam Oedius, Calvin was happy with his only option. Drex seemed a little confused as he arrived to Earth and Calvin was quick to note he looked much different from before.

"You're a cyborg now?"

"It's punishment for failing," Drex said. "Trust me, that won't happen again."

"I'm guessing they're looking for this," Calvin said and held up his power star. "Fight me for it."

"This certainly is new," Drex said with a smirk and Calvin saw the buzz cams making their way around the quarry, trying to catch all angles. Galvanax was surely watching, but the yellow Ranger didn't care.

"Something needs to be done about you," Calvin told him with a growl. "You're the reason she's in this mess."

"She?"

"Sarah," Calvin said and Drex smirked. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"She could have been something great," he said. "A legend on the streets, in the bed…"

"Shut up!"

"Have I hit a nerve?" Drex chuckled. "You know, that bitch was mine, first. I could do whatever I wanted to her."

Calvin clenched his fist. He hated Drex. He hated everything about the older man, who Calvin viewed as much more of a monster than Galvanax. The yellow Ranger hated that Drex preyed on women. He hated that he sought out women who were most vulnerable, and instead of helping them out, he used his control over them to run a business.

Calvin hated that from the moment Drex and Kathryn first kidnapped Sarah, it had been an uphill battle for the pink Ranger. He hated that Drex had been the one to give her the first, and many other concussions which led to her brain being vulnerable. Sarah being hit by a car, and their encounter with the drunk drivers may have played a role, but it was small compared to what Drex had done.

"If I beat you, you need to disappear," Calvin said. "Never show your face around here again, and never look at, no, _think_ about another woman again. You win, you keep my Power Star."

"And how can I be sure you'll honour that deal?" Drex asked, which made Calvin's muscles tense up further. He was the Power Ranger. He was the honourable one. Drex was scum.

Drex was worse than scum.

"I guess you'll just have to find out," he said and charged ahead, morphing as he went.

-Ninja-Steel-

There was no further damage to her brain after the seizure. It was no better than before, but it was no worse. The seizure hadn't lasted long and Sarah was quick to come to afterwards.

The doctor was aware of her anti-seizure medication, but prescribed her something a little stronger, just to be safe. And after Sarah insisted it couldn't interfere with her day to day activities, she promised her doctor and Jenny that she would take it without trouble.

"You need to be alert," the doctor told her. "If you start to feel funny, or something isn't right, or you need to lay down, listen to what your body is saying."

"I get it," Sarah nodded.

"Epilepsy is unpredictable," the doctor reminded her. "It can happen anywhere, at anytime. You may be fortunate enough to already be lying on the couch, or you may find yourself in a position where you risk falling and injuring yourself again. Until you have a better sense of your triggers and when the seizures tend to occur most, I wouldn't recommend you be on your own."

"Trust me, doctor, that's not going to happen," Sarah said.

"Don't put yourself into situations where you can be hurt," he said, the wrote something on his prescription pad and gave it to Jenny. "If you think it's necessary, you can speak with a specialist and see about what more you can do to manage the seizures. There is new medicine now, new technology, and there's always the good, old-fashion, service dogs."

"I could get a puppy?"

"If the circumstances call for it," the doctor said with a little laugh. "You would have to discuss that with the specialist and see what your insurance is ready to cover."

"But we can leave?"

"Call that number if there's anymore questions you have, or if you think something isn't right," the doctor told Jenny and pointed to the paper. "Other than that, you're a lucky girl, Sarah. Not many people go through what you do and come out only unable to read or write."

"Thanks, doctor," Jenny said with a smile and then escorted Sarah out of the hospital, where just as Sarah had predicted, her friends were waiting for her. Kelly immediately went for the hug, squeezing her girlfriend tight.

"You're going to be the death of me," she said, to which Jenny chuckled.

"Hey, get in line."

"So you're okay?" Brody asked and Sarah nodded her head and smiled.

"Not better, but not worse, which means I'm good," she said. "Apparently, that's considered lucky."

"Do you need to take any time off being a Ranger?" Levi asked, though he did direct that question to Jenny. Sarah's answer would be that she wanted to get back into action as soon as possible so she could help her friends. Jenny was likely to be more honest.

"You'll keep her safe, right?"

"That's kind of the plan," Preston chuckled. "I mean, not that we've done a good job of it so far.

"I'm fine!"

"Spell fine," Preston looked to the pink Ranger, who immediately frowned and punched him.

"You're mean."

"You kids can go off and… do whatever Power Rangers do after hours," Jenny said as she hugged Sarah and kissed the top of her head. "I need a nap, but first, I feel like it might be a good idea to baby proof the house."

"Baby proof?" Sarah frowned.

"Well, what do you call cushioning every corner and ensuring your child can't get hurt just walking around?"

"You don't have to calling it baby proofing," Sarah muttered. Jenny kissed her again, then headed off to her car. "I'll be safe," Sarah called out to assure her.

"I've heard that before," Jenny responded. She got into her car and watched as the teens walked away from the hospital, planning out what they would do for the rest of the day. Once they were far enough away, Jenny let out a deep breath, dropped her head on the steering wheel and let herself cry.


	6. Fighting Rangers

Hayley had noticed Calvin's accident, but she was sure that her boyfriend was just taking some time to himself. She remembered the story of his accident when he was young, and while it had been more embarrassing that worrisome, being behind the wheel of a car involved in yet another crash had to bring back terrifying memories for him.

So when he didn't show up to the hospital with the rest of the Rangers, Hayley didn't worry much. Especially since Sarah said he had popped by earlier. When he didn't join them later at the park, Hayley started to worry a bit, so she sent him a text message.

When dinner came around, and Calvin hadn't shown up or responded to her message, Hayley was very panicked. She tried to call, but there was no answer. She tried his Data Comm, but there was still no answer.

"It's not like him," she said. "He doesn't do this. He doesn't just… disappear."

"Any idea where he would go if he did?" Kelly asked. She was sympathetic towards Hayley. Sarah's disappearance was always a concern and once it happened, it was all Kelly could think of until she was home safe. She knew Hayley had to be going out of her mind right now, and even if Calvin wasn't in danger, Hayley would be stressed until she could confirm that.

"Just… shop class and his garage," Hayley said. "But he would answer."

"We'll swing by his house," Brody suggested and tapped Levi on the shoulder. "You want to head back to the base? See if he's…"

Brody trailed off when he saw a buzzcam flying around. He gripped his Power Star tight and instructed the others to do the same. The buzzcam itself was harmless. It was nothing more that a flying camera. It was what often followed them that threatened the Rangers.

And this threat didn't disappoint. With his new armoured body and a confident smirk on his face, Drex walked down the street. In his hand, the Rangers saw the yellow Power Star.

"You again?" Levi asked.

"Madam Oedius decided to give me one more chance," Drex nodded his head then eyed Sarah and Preston. "No thanks to the two of you."

"I'm disappointed," Sarah growled. "So, she didn't finish you off?"

"It took her a while to convince Galvanax you were nothing more than a lying bitch," Drex nodded.

"I wasn't lying."

"And there you go again," Drex said and then looked to the yellow Power Star in his hand, "So, I've got one. How many more do you think I'll be able to take home with me?"

"Where is Calvin?" Hayley asked.

"Depends on what you believe," Drex smirked. "But I can assure you, it's nowhere good. That moron thought he could beat me, one on one. I guess someone forgot to tell him just how powerful I am."

"Powerfully stupid," Sarah muttered as she rolled her eyes. Drex placed the Power Star on his belt as he glared at her.

"Big mouth for someone hiding behind her girlfriend," he said. "Why don't you come out here and challenge me yourself? Unless you really are a bitch."

"What did you do to Calvin?" Hayley glared. Drex shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I didn't let him off with a warning, if that's what you were hoping for."

"Where is he?"

"Why don't you find out?" Drex held up his hand and the Rangers could hear something charging. They all quickly morphed and dove out of the way as Drex fired his first round of shots.

Hayley was first on her feet after and charged at Drex. Levi was right behind her. If Calvin had already lost in a battle alone, it wouldn't be smart for the Rangers to fight one on one.

Brody joined his brother and Hayley, while Preston, Sarah and Kelly hung back.

"You going to be okay?" Preston asked as he looked to Sarah. He had many reasons to be worried. Sarah had many reasons to justify backing out. But she shook her head.

"I can freak out later. We have to figure out what this asshole did to Calvin."

"No direct attacks," Kelly warned Sarah. "You leave all the hand to hand combat to us, alright?"

"Really?" Preston asked. "You and me, hand to hand?"

"We're not the best, but at least he won't knock us directly into a coma… well, it'll be harder," Kelly said.

"I'll watch your backs," Sarah agreed and let Preston and Kelly rush ahead of her as she grabbed her Ninja Blaster and started to take shots. It was hard to aim with five Rangers taking on Drex at once, but Sarah had a steady hand and anytime she saw an opening, she took it.

Drex felt he was outnumbered and he was, admittedly, a little overpowered. Fighting six Rangers at once was no easy feet. He could see why so many of Galvanax's monsters had failed. If he dodged one attack, he threw himself into another. And since there were so many Rangers coming at him from every angle, there was really no time to catch his breath.

Fortunately, he had planned for this. Using his blaster, he took a shot at each of the Rangers, then backed away from them as they scrambled to get to their feet. Then, he called down his newest teammate.

Calvin stood before the Rangers, morphed, but his suit was a much darker shade of yellow than usual. When Hayley called out to him, he didn't respond and instead when to stand next to Drex.

"Let's even up the teams a little bit," Drex said. "Though, I am hoping to collect a few more. Any picks, Calvin?"

Calvin drew his sword, but the Rangers couldn't tell who he was eyeing. Sarah clutched her blaster tight in her hand.

"Dammit. I hate this part," she said and shot at Calvin's hand. She knocked his sword away, but Calvin still rushed in to fight, with Drex right behind him. With one more teammate helping him against the Rangers, Drex could already feel himself gaining the advantage. Especially when he noticed the white Ranger refused to attack Yellow.

"Finish her off!" he commanded and Calvin did exactly as he asked. He picked up his blade and swung at Hayley tirelessly. She backed away, but refused to do anything to hurt Calvin and opted to try and reason with him instead.

"Calvin, it's me!" she said. "You don't want to do this! You can fight it!"

Calvin struck her in the chest. Hayley stumbled backwards. Calvin gripped his sword in both hands and prepared to stab her.

"Not today, motor head!" Sarah shouted as she shot at Calvin with her blaster, then rushed in and pulled Hayley to her feet. Calvin swung his sword, but Sarah jumped out of the way.

"You have to fight him," she told Hayley, who shook her head.

"I can't!"

"He's not Calvin right now," Sarah said. "What would you want him to do if this were reversed. You'd never want to know he let himself die. You'd want him to fight, so fight!"

Hayley nodded her head and as Calvin approached again, she kicked him back and grabbed her own blade. Their weapons clashed a few times before Calvin got the upper hand. He swept Hayley off her feet and as she hit the ground, he swung at her again.

"Don't do it!" Preston shouted as he came over and grabbed the yellow Ranger from behind, restraining him. Calvin fought and didn't have to worry about Preston for long. He managed to throw him off and kick him in the ribs when he was on the floor.

Brody and Levi came to help and they each tried to grab Calvin to stop him, but since they didn't want to hurt their friend too much, they weren't strong enough. Calvin knocked them all to the ground and then, suddenly, he disappeared.

"No!" Hayley shouted and looked around. Part of her hoped that this was a trick. That he would appear from nowhere and continue to fight the Rangers. She didn't want to go against him, but at least if he was here, there was a chance she could get him back.

"We know he's alive, at least," Brody said, but Hayley pushed him aside and stormed off. Levi and Brody followed her, despite her yelling that they leave her alone.

Preston made his way over to Sarah, who was doubled over to catch her breath.

"Fighting right after a seizure, not recommended," she said. Preston chuckled.

"I don't think anyone has recommended it. Are you okay?"

"Fine, but if it makes you feel better, we can head back to the base and get checked."

"You know me well," Preston chuckled. "Hayley, Brody and Levi are probably on their way too. We can come up with a better plan while we rest."

Sarah nodded, then looked around and noticed something unusual. Kelly was nowhere to be seen. She looked around again, then glanced down the street, where she could barely make out the shadows of Hayley, Brody and Levi.

None of them were Kelly, and Sarah couldn't find Kelly.

"Dammit!" she shouted and Preston tried to look for the green Ranger, but there was no sign of her. He then remembered, when he saw Calvin was close to killing Hayley, he and the rest of the boys had all come to help, knowing it wouldn't be possible for Hayley to fight back.

They left Kelly alone to fight Drex. It was just for a moment, but clearly that was a moment too long.

"Sarah…"

"That bastard!" Sarah shouted and threw her blaster to the ground, firing off one final shot. "That's two! Two friends!"

"Hey, he had us both and we're okay," Preston reminded her. "We're not letting him get away with this, Sarah. I promise."


	7. Regroup

Calvin knew he had blacked out. There was a huge gap in his memory that he couldn't fill. However, he knew that whatever he was missing would explain the new bruises, the tenderness in his body and the overall ill feeling he had.

Suddenly, the door to his cell opened and Kelly was thrown in. She skid across the ground, her clothes barely hanging on her, and then just lay there. Hesitantly, Calvin approached her.

"Kel?"

"Don't," she suddenly jumped up, a look of absolute fear in her eyes. Calvin took a step back and held up his hands.

"Hey, it's just me. It's okay."

"You don't want to kill me?" she asked and Calvin frowned.

"Why would I…?" he noticed the bruises and compared them to his own. "Did I…?"

Kelly shook her head, "Drex didn't want to wait. Apparently, there was too much build up."

"What does that mean?" Calvin asked, but Kelly didn't explain. She walked over into a corner, sat down and hugged herself, pulling her knees into her chest. Calvin approached slowly and sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"

"I want to go home," Kelly whispered. Calvin put his arm around her, but noticed when Kelly flinched at his touch. The worst thought he could have crossed his mind and he realized this was his fault. He had challenged Drex. He had lost. Whatever followed, even if Calvin couldn't remember, was a result of that.

"There's got to be a way out. Sarah and Preston did it," he said and rose to his feet to look around his cell. He hadn't tried to escape yet, but he barely knew what was going on. He banged on the door a couple of times, and then examined the walls for weak points, but the cell was solid.

Then, he heard a sniff from Kelly. He looked to her, saw her wiping her nose with a torn piece from her shirt and he couldn't help but think of what had happened to her. He approached her again, and when he put his hand on her knee, she jumped.

"Don't do that," she said.

"Sorry," Calvin apologized. "Do you… want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Is it… At least can you tell me if what I think happened… happened?"

"Let's just say I'm damn sure I'm a lesbian now," Kelly muttered. "I just want to go home, alright?"

Calvin took off his sweater, draped it around Kelly to offer her some comfort and then looked around the cell once more. Without his Power Star, he couldn't see how he was going to get them out of this mess. He shook his head and sighed.

"It was so much easier getting into trouble."

-Ninja-Steel-

"No further injury," Mick announced as Sarah removed the scanner from her head and hopped off the table. "Your helmet should prevent more trouble, but I would prefer to wait until we were a little more removed from your last seizure before you go into battle again."

"Whenever Drex shows up, I'm fighting," Sarah said.

"He's got Calvin and Kelly," Levi told Mick. "He's stealing our numbers and turning us against each other. And we can't fight back."

"Can't or won't?" Mick asked.

"We can't hurt our friends," Preston said.

"I understand that's a difficult thing to do," Mick nodded. "But you can hurt them. In fact, you might have to."

"No," Hayley frowned. "Just… no."

"Hear me out," Mick looked to the Rangers. "You all have powers. Those powers are to be used to defend the planet from monsters, or people, who try to hurt it. You fight Drex, just as you would fight Galvanax."

"Drex isn't a friend."

"He's a dick," Sarah growled.

"And right now, Calvin, and potentially Kelly, are also… uh, dicks," Mick said with a bit of a frown. "Logically speaking, you need to stop them too."

"So, fight the people we care about?" Brody asked. "Doesn't that go against everything we've learned? Or everything we stand for?"

"If Calvin is morphed, he's using his powers to cause harm."

"But he's not in control," Hayley said. "Calvin… he never would hurt us."

"So then Drex is in control," Mick said. "Drex is fighting you, and he's using Calvin to do it. He knows your weakness and he's exploiting it," Mick shifted his attention to Hayley, "You almost let your reluctance to fight Calvin impair your ability to be a Ranger."

"My loyalty is to Calvin first," Hayley told him. "That's not changing."

"Fine, then don't fight Calvin. Let him continue to act as a vessel for Drex, Madam Oedius and whoever else is in on this plan," Mick shrugged. "Let him kill you and let him live with that guilt for however long Drex and Madam Oedius keep him."

Hayley's frown dropped a little when she heard that. She knew Calvin would never want to hurt her or any of his friends. In fact, he had been so torn up about just being involved in an accident where he wasn't to blame. She couldn't imagine the pain he might suffer if he knew he was the reason she was hurt, or if he knew he was the reason she was dead.

"I can't be the one to do it," Hayley admitted. "It needs to be done, but…"

"So don't do it," Mick told her, and Hayley frowned. The space mechanic had just spent his time convincing her she needed to fight Calvin. Now he didn't want her to lay a hand on him. "We all love Calvin, and Kelly. Some more than others."

He looked to Sarah and Hayley with a little smile, then back to all the Rangers.

"We know what needs to be done. What if we… let it happen?"

"Let… let what happen?" Sarah asked.

"You don't fight Kelly. Don't lay a hand on her," Mick told her. "And Hayley, you keep your distance from Calvin. Let the boys take this one."

"So… if we don't fight our partners, who do we fight?" Hayley asked.

"Drex," Mick answered simply, but Sarah quickly shook her head.

"Uh, nope. No thank you. Not on my own. Not even with a partner, and definitely not up close."

"Sarah."

"No," Sarah shook her head.

"So you'll fight Calvin," Brody suggested.

"No," Sarah refused.

"Kelly?"

"No."

"You have to fight someone," Levi told her, but Sarah continued to shake her head.

"Up close and personal with Drex, I'm going to freeze."

"You were fine today," Brody said.

"Yeah, because five of you had my back," Sarah said. "It was us six against Drex. He didn't have to get close to me. He never did."

"So?"

"So I'm not doing it," Sarah said. "I'll join the battle, I'll keep my distance, but I'm sorry, I can't… I can't fight Drex with just one other person. If anything happens to Hayley and you three are busy with Kelly and Calvin then it's me and him and guess who's next up on that ship."

"Sarah…"

"I want to stay where it's safe," Sarah argued. "I don't want to hit my head again. I don't want another damn seizure and I don't want to have to worry that Drex is going to climb on top of me and tell me how I compare to my own damn mother!"

Sarah kicked over her stool and stormed out of the base. There was an awkward silence followed by Levi leaning over Mick's shoulder to whisper, "You sure there's not further damage? That seems kind of… violent rage-y to me."

"I'll talk to her," Mick said as he followed her out.


	8. The Big Battle

Mick stepped out into the garage and found Sarah pushing over a stack of tires. He was a little concerned about her rage. The last time he had approached her when she was upset, she had given him a black eye for it. However, he knew this wasn't just about getting angry. Sarah didn't want to hurt him.

"It's not like you not to fight for your team," he said. Sarah seemed to calm when she heard his voice. Mick liked to see that reaction. As much as he loved all his Rangers, and he wanted to do right by each of them, the time he had spent with Sarah, and with Jenny helping her to cope with her daughter, had caused him to hold a special place in his heart for the pink Ranger. Brody would always be like a son to him, but Sarah was certainly working her way up as well.

Perhaps it was because they both needed a father in their lives, while Mick found he needed family.

"Drex is terrifying," Mick continued. "I can't imagine the things you saw when you were young, or when you were with him. Even my worst days with Galvanax, that was… it wasn't a concern of mine."

"Just goes to show how much of a monster he is," Sarah grumbled. She sat on a tire and took a deep breath. "I go near him, I know I'm going to freeze. As soon as I do…"

"You don't need to go near him."

"Hayley can't hold him off on her own. And if the others are going to be fighting Calvin and Kelly, they're going to need all the help they can get to kick ass without… you know, kicking ass."

"So what are you going to do?" Mick asked. Every solution had already been offered to Sarah except for her to sit out. Mick knew she wouldn't want to hear any of his suggestions, so he hoped that she could talk herself into doing something. Maybe she just needed to feel heard.

"I can't just sit out," Sarah concluded on her own. "I've got to fight someone, right?"

"Which is the lesser evil?" Mick asked her. "I mean, can you find it in you to fight a friend, or your girlfriend? Or are you going to have to face your fears and take out Drex?"

"I can't fight him," Sarah shook her head. "He's… he's a bad guy."

"Can you fight your friends?"

"I don't know what to do, here," Sarah grumbled and dropped her head in her hands. Mick put a gentle hand on her back.

"You're fighting for the greater good here," he told her. "You're fighting to save your friends and stop a monster from hurting more people. Whatever you do, you're going to be doing the right thing. Calvin and Kelly will both understand that."

"I'm not afraid I'll hurt them," Sarah shook her head. "I'm afraid I'll hold back. I'm afraid I'll hold back so much, I'll let them down. When I say I can't fight them, Mick, it's not because I don't want to. I really don't think I physically can."

"So fight Drex."

"Same reason."

"You'll hold back against him?"

"I don't think I can," Sarah shook her head. "I might freeze if he gets too close, if he says something that… triggers panic or…"

"I hate to say it, Sarah, but you're holding everyone back." Mick told her bluntly. "You're letting all your friends down with this… block."

"Mick."

"Brody, Levi and Preston are ready to fight whoever they need to fight. Hayley's ready to go after Drex. You need to make a decision now on what you can do, otherwise you aren't fit to be a Ranger."

"Mick…"

"It's the truth. If you were Preston second guessing yourself, I wouldn't be surprised. He's cautious, and on a team, there's a place for that. But you… you do what needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. You act in the best interest of others. Sarah, I have no doubt in my mind when I tell you that I know the Pink Power Star chose you for your bravery and strength in the face of danger. You were chosen because you know what's right and you let nothing stand in your way. Bailing on your friends, that's… that's not the pink Ranger we need."

"I'm scared, Mick."

"Me too," Mick nodded. "I can't say for sure what's going to happen, but you can't throw in the towel. Make a choice, Sarah, make it fast. Calvin, Kelly, or Drex?"

"Drex," Sarah said. She knew him best of all the Rangers. She was only young when she lived with him, but she could still remember what made him tick, and she knew what his kind were like. Maybe, if she played her cards right, that could help her in battle.

"Your friends will have your back," Mick promised her. "Be safe out there, alright?"

"I'll try," Sarah answered then called her friends out. They needed to challenge Drex. They needed to fight him on their terms. Waiting for him to show up gave him too much time to figure out his next move.

-Ninja-Steel-

Drex could never back down from a challenge. So, when the Rangers called him out, he couldn't ignore it. He summoned Calvin and Kelly from their cell and transported them down to Earth to meet with the team.

"How many of you will I collect today?" he asked. Their numbers were dwindling, though he still didn't like how there were more Rangers than he had soldiers. Still, he had managed to best them twice already. He was sure he could still win.

"We're getting our friends back," Brody announced confidently and he looked to Calvin. "Like it or not, you're coming home."

"They can't hear you," Drex said. "They do what I tell them. They act, they don't think."

"We're not holding back because they're our friends," Levi promised. "We're doing whatever we have to do."

"Then I hope you like having their blood on your hands," Drex said. "Or, you know, just give up."

"Not happening," Brody said and morphed, with his friends following behind him. Calvin and Kelly morphed while Drex cracked his knuckles.

"Who should I go after first?" he asked, but as the Rangers rushed in to fight themselves, he noticed the two who stayed behind and smirked wickedly. Hayley came at him, full strength, while Sarah hung back, shooting her blaster from a distance as a dangerous distraction. He had to admire her shot. His fight with Hayley was far from stationary, and though she hadn't hit him yet, she hadn't even come close to striking her own teammate.

"It's like you girls want to be next," he said as he blocked a punch from Hayley, then grabbed her arm and twisted it painfully as she sunk to her knees. Then he kicked her in the chest. Before he could do further harm, one of Sarah's blasts shot past his head, forcing him to step aside. "You must have heard about the fun I had with your little green girlfriend."

"Fun?" Sarah asked, and though she didn't really need to think hard about what he meant, she still remembered the time she lived with him and her mother, and Drex would always bring her and the other women into his room for what he liked to call a "fun time."

Sarah's heart began to race as she took her eyes off her own battle for a moment to look at Kelly. She couldn't imagine what Drex had done to her. She just hoped her girlfriend had been in the same state of mind as now, and hopefully didn't know what had happened.

But that didn't mean iDrex hadn't hurt her. Sarah felt her blood boil and she knew now, she had made the right choice. As Hayley struggled to stay on her feet without Sarah's shots to back her up, Sarah tossed her blaster aside and grabbed her Ninja Blade. She gripped it tightly as she charged Drex and slashed him once, twice, thrice, four times before he was knocked down to his knees.

"You're a real dick," she growled and readied herself to stab him, hoping to rid herself of him for good when a bomb dropped into the quarry, blasting Sarah, Drex and all the Rangers off their feet and across the ground. Each of them powered down as the dust began to settle.

"What is the meaning of this?" Galvanax roared as he was followed by many Kudabots and Madam Oedius. "I did not make any orders to attack the Rangers."

"Galvanax, please, you must listen," Madam Oedius followed. "Drex is my warrior and I do believe this time we have a flawless plan for obtaining all six of the Power Stars. In fact, we have one already, plus my green armour Power Star."

Drex stayed on his knees and bowed as Galvanax and Madam Oedius approached. He then pointed to Calvin and Kelly, "I have two Rangers fighting for me already. Prisoners of mine that I'm using to obtain the rest of the Power Stars. Once they are in my possession, I will pass them onto Madam Oedius."

"And they would go straight to you," Madam Oedius said, but Galvanax didn't appear convinced.

"I've heard this once before," he said. "You swore to me you were loyal."

"Galvanax, I understand your confusion," Madam Oedius said. "Please, it was necessary you were kept in the dark about this plan. The less anyone knew about what was happening, the better."

"In what way?" Galvanax asked. "The Rangers have already escaped my ship because no one knew to keep an eye out for them."

"This is true," Madam Oedius said. "But Galvanax, you've known me a long time. You know I'm a strategist. You know I don't act without having my plan, and several back ups ready to go. My previous mistake was sending out my warriors before they were ready, but I've made a few adjustments and now Drex here is completely loyal to me, and therefore completely loyal to you, and he's only got one mission. He cares for nothing else."

Galvanax looked to Madam Oedius, then to Drex, then to the Rangers who were all struggling to get to their feet.

"I'm taking over now," he said. "Kudabots, grab them all. Don't let them get away."

The Kudabots rushed forward, with several of them grabbing an individual Ranger to drag them all. While they all fought, Brody was the only one to avoid capture. He slipped past his Kudabots and hung on tight to his Power Star as he fought them off. The others were busy dragging his friends away and Madam Oedius had already called Drex, Calvin and Kelly back.

"Don't take them!" Brody cried out, but it was too late. Galvanax, his monsters, and the Rangers all disappeared in a flash.


	9. A Near Escape

Brody walked into a base and kicked over a stool. He was fresh from a battle with Drex and in one, quick sweep, Galvanax appeared and took his friends – all of them – to be his prisoners. He had barely escaped, and without the help of the other Rangers, he wasn't sure it would mean much.

"Brody!" Mick said as he came over to hug the red Ranger. He had been watching the battle and had been going out of his mind with worry the moment Galvanax appeared. Both he, Brody, and RedBot had already been taken prisoner on the brute's ship, so they knew what their friends were in for.

Still, though it wasn't his whole team, Mick was glad to see one of the Rangers had returned. But Brody brushed off the hug and looked to Mick angrily.

"I let them down…"

"We'll figure this out," Mick promised. Brody shook his head.

"What can we do, Mick? I'm alone!"

"Brody…"

"Galvanax has five Power Stars and Kelly's!"

"He wants all six," RedBot said. "Maybe there's still a little wiggle room for us."

"I can't take him on my own!" Brody shouted. "You heard what happened to my dad when he tried!"

"We don't know for sure…"

"People don't just disappear," Brody growled and turned to Mick. "Galvanax is going to kill them, isn't he?"

"I… I can't say," Mick shrugged. He had spent twenty years on Galvanax's ship, ten of those were before Brody arrived. He had been sold into slavery to Galvanax as part of a deal the ruler of his galaxy made. He had only been a child when he had to leave, and spent most of his life as a prisoner.

His freedom now was still sometimes hard to believe. When the Rangers weren't around, or when they were all in the base, focused on their own activities, Mick sometimes had to take a step back and remind himself that he was finally a free man. He could do what he wanted. He had to remind himself that though they weren't his relatives, he once again had a family he could call his own.

In all that time he spent as a slave, Mick had to watch Galvanax collect more prisoners. Some remained on his ship to work, some were used in his television show as challengers, and others were killed as soon as they arrived on board. Galvanax didn't have a predictable system. It all depended on how he was feeling that day and whether a prisoner could be of use to him.

This meant the Rangers' fates could all be different. Some of them could have already been dead, maybe all. Some could be forced to work, some might remain in cells.

"What are we going to do?" Brody asked and Mick didn't have any idea. He shrugged his shoulders, looking hopeless as he turned to RedBot. The robot shrugged as well.

"We have one Power Star," he said. "All we know for sure right now is we still have something Galvanax wants."

"And he has six people we want," Mick nodded.

"It depends what you're willing to risk," RedBot told Brody. "Are you ready to give up your Power Star to save your friends?"

It was a question Brody had never asked himself before. He never imagined he would be alone, with his friends in danger, forced to choose between their lives and his powers. Hell, he had lost his Power Star before, but he had a majority of his team with him to help.

His Power Star was the only chance he had at stopping Galvanax, even if it wouldn't be enough on its own. If he gave that up, if he returned to Galvanax as a prisoner, he and all his friends could be dead before the end of the day.

"If I give this up, I lose all hope," Brody looked to his Star with a sigh. "I… I can't do it. I can't give it up. I can't give Galvanax what he wants."

"There's no guarantee Galvanax would honour any deal anyway," Mick said, agreeing with Brody. "Giving up our last Power Star without the rest of the team is foolish."

"So what do we do?" RedBot asked. "Do we… do we leave them?"

Brody grabbed his head as he tried to think. He knew what it was like on Galvanax's ship. He had been a prisoner for ten years, and every day was miserable. The only good thing to come of that time was the friendship he formed with Mick and RedBot, and while he loved them both dearly, they still hadn't been enough.

Brody, like Mick, had been torn from his family. It happened in the blink of an eye. He was eight years old, training in the yard when the monsters appeared. He didn't know what was going on, but his whole life changed that day, and didn't get better until he escaped Galvanax to come to Earth.

It was the day he met his friends. The day he became a red Ranger. He had been fighting a monster when Sarah and Preston showed up out of nowhere and risked their lives to help him – a stranger. They stayed with him to find his brother, and when Aiden wasn't where Brody hoped he would be, they comforted him.

They were soon joined by Hayley and Calvin and the four became Brody's best friends. They helped reintroduce him to life on Earth and trusted him to lead them into battle. When Levi joined, Brody knew his family was expanding, and while they would never replace the ones he lost, except for Levi who turned out to be Aiden, the Rangers made him feel safe. They made him feel like he had somewhere to be and people who truly cared for him.

He had missed that. When he was with them, he missed his father a little less.

Leaving them on Galvanax's ship was not an option. However, neither was giving up a Power Star.

"I… I don't know what to do."

-Ninja-Steel-

Levi kicked the bars of his cell, hoping they would give, but knowing that was asking too much. Galvanax had placed one Ranger in each cell, convinced that if they were put together, they would cause him trouble. While Levi was certain he and his friends could still find a way out, he had to admit that the sense of loneliness was starting to wear him down. He was hurt, he was scared, and though he could see all his friends, knowing there was no one to sit with, to hold, or to hold him made him feel hopeless.

"Kelly, talk to me, please," Sarah begged, and Levi looked over to see the pink Ranger. She was pressed up against the wall of her cell so hard, he thought she might just squeeze through the gap. She was trying to reach Kelly, who was in the cell next to her and sitting against the back wall, curled up into a ball. "We're going to get out, okay? We'll be fine. Just… tell me you're okay."

Kelly didn't answer. In fact, Levi was sure she couldn't hear anything. She had tuned everyone out the moment she regained awareness of herself.

His attention shifted over to Calvin, the other Ranger who had been forced to side with Drex. While he didn't seem as distant as Kelly, there was pain radiating off him. His eyes were wet and though he was trying hard not to cry, Levi could see it was battle he was losing.

"It's all my fault," Calvin said, breaking his own silence and Preston, Levi and Hayley looked to him.

"Cal…"

"I stupidly went to challenge Drex," he said. "I don't even know what I was thinking…"

"I was going to ask," Levi muttered, but Preston hushed him. It wasn't the time. Levi knew that, but Calvin wasn't the only one upset about their situation.

"What were you thinking?" Hayley asked, her tone was a lot gentler that Levi's. Calvin looked to her and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to say, though he knew exactly what had been on his mind. His and Sarah's accident had gotten to him. He was shaken up and still couldn't believe he walked away unscathed. He had been so lucky and he knew it.

When he challenged Drex, the same couldn't be said for Sarah. She already had a brain injury and the car accident was likely to make it worst. Calvin felt he was to blame for what happened and when he went to apologize, Sarah had another seizure. Worried he might lost a friend, and worried it was his fault, Calvin thought fighting and beating Drex might make him feel better. After all, Drex had been the first person to hurt Sarah, and in doing so, he hurt the whole team.

"It doesn't matter," he told Hayley. "Whatever Galvanax has planned, I'll do it. I'll be the first, or I'll be the test or…"

"We're not making it that easy for him," Hayley shook her head. "No one volunteers."

"If I hadn't challenged Drex by myself, we wouldn't be here. This is my fault and…"

"Calvin, you're not helping anyone," Hayley told him point blank. "You can throw yourself a pity party once we're out of here, but for right now, you need to shape up."

Calvin looked to his girlfriend. He wasn't surprised she was being so direct. Whenever Calvin crossed a line, Hayley would set him straight. He loved her for it. However, he was a little taken aback that she would choose to do it now.

"Hayl…"

"No one volunteers," Hayley told him. "Whatever Galvanax has planned, we make it difficult. Fight, scream, run. If even one of us can get off this ship, we have a better chance."

"One?" Sarah asked, finally chiming in as she gave up on trying to reach Kelly for now. "Like… every man for himself?"

"Brody's alone," Hayley nodded. "He needs help. If just one of us can slip out of here, we've already doubled the number of Rangers for the rescue."

"She's not wrong," Preston said, then looked to Hayley, "But have you forgotten Galvanax has our Power Stars?"

At that moment, the door to the prison swung open. The Rangers were expecting Galvanax to walk in, or for Madam Oedius to come in and gloat that, despite the Rangers' efforts to prove she was a traitor, she still had Galvanax fooled. Instead, Drex marched in, bearing a sick, confident smirk.

"Well, while this wasn't the plan, I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how this all turned out," Drex smiled and he looked to each of the Rangers. "I mean, Galvanax is a little pissed we went behind his back, but I'm not the one taking the heat for that. And he is satisfied with the results. Kind of and ends justify the means thing going on out there, in case you were wondering."

No one said anything. They were all watching him, wondering what he planned on doing. Drex knew this. He recognized this look. He saw it all the time with the girls who worked for him. He liked to keep them on their toes. He liked when they couldn't tell what he was thinking because it kept him in control. If they were always scared of him, they wouldn't fight back. He had the power.

He had that now and it excited him. Six Rangers, at his mercy, helpless to do anything to save themselves.

"This is too good!" he exclaimed, giddy, then he turned to Sarah, "Brings back good memories, huh?"

Sarah didn't say anything. Nothing would be the right answer, so nothing was the best she could do. She didn't want to piss of Drex. She knew what happened when he was pissed.

His gaze shifted to Kelly, "Hey, bitch, give me a little smile. You had a great time and you know it," he turned back to Sarah with a smirk, "That one was a wild ride. She's yours, right?"

"Shut up," Sarah growled, no longer able to stay silent.

"Maybe I didn't get to raise you, but you still take after me," he smirked. "You get the good bitches. The full package: obedient, thirsty and sexy."

Sarah threw herself into the bars and managed to grab Drex and pull him close. He was smashed into the metal cell and Sarah wrapped her arm around his neck to suffocate him. She squeezed as tight as she could as Drex gasped for air.

And then, he started to laugh. It confused Sarah that he could laugh while she was choking the life out of him and he took advantage to change the positions.

"Enhancements, sweet cheeks," he said with a chuckle. "You know, your mother used to fight back too. Back when I first picked her up off the streets. I gotta say, she was my best. Too bad bitches get old. Good thing you remind me so much of…"

He trailed off with a frown when Sarah started to shake in his hold. He didn't know what was happening and let her go.

"What the…"

"It's a seizure!" Hayley announced.

"She's faking," Drex growled. "She's a coward."

"Do you want to take that chance?" Hayley asked. "Galvanax might have our Power Stars, but they're still connected to us. If we die, it loses power."

"So?"

"So, do you want to be the one responsible for a dead Power Star?" Hayley asked. "I can save her."

"You swear?" Drex asked. Though he didn't work for Galvanax, and though Madam Oedius swore he was no longer the most powerful warrior in the galaxy, Drex still knew better than to upset him. He did still have a lot of power, and that was the reason Madam Oedius was trying to keep him on her side.

And even if he could beat Galvanax, Madam Oedius would still punish him for losing a Power Star. He barely survived his last punishment.

"I swear," Hayley said. "Let me out."

"Bitch, I'll fuck you up if you're playing me," he said as he opened Sarah's cell. He then turned his back to unlock Hayley's. Just as the lock clicked, he was punched hard in the back of the head and then slammed face first into the bars of the white Rangers' cell.

"Go!" Sarah called to Hayley as she ripped the keys from Drex and tossed them to the white Ranger. Hayley unlocked Calvin's cell, then Kelly's, Levi's and Preston's.

"How did you know that was fake?" Preston asked as Hayley let him out.

"Sarah's seizures are never that convenient," Hayley chuckled. "Besides, it's like I said, if just one of us can get out, we need to take it."

"Wait, so you were going to leave us?" Levi frowned.

Hayley quickly turned her attention away from the boys, "Sarah! Are you coming?"

"Right behind you," Sarah told her and swiftly kicked Drex between the legs just before he could get up, and then ran with her teammates. "Go, go, go!"

They ran out of the room, moving as quickly as they all could. However, they didn't get far before they bumped into Galvanax.

"Just the Rangers I wanted to see," he said as they were swarmed with Kudabots. "You're needed on stage. I have a red Power Star to get and I'm willing to make a trade."


	10. The Rangers' End

Brody paced back and forth in the Ranger base, contemplating the biggest decision he had to make to date. The red Power Star, or his friends.

If he saved the Power Star, he knew the fate his friends would suffer. He wasn't sure on the details, but he knew he'd doom them to a life of misery – whether short or long. They had challenged Galvanax and kept him from obtaining the power he wanted. They destroyed his monsters and stood in the way f him taking over the galaxy.

He wouldn't spar them. He wouldn't think about it.

If he chose his friends, he would sacrifice the Power Star. While alone Brody doubted he could be able to stop Galvanax, there was still hope. If he chose his friends, he would be giving up that hope, and signing over the Earth to one of the most dangerous and cruel monsters on this side of the universe. Everyone feared Galvanax, and there was a reason for that. His friends would likely be safe, but for a very short time.

And that was only if Galvanax honoured the deal.

"What would dad do?" Brody asked himself, as he always did in times of trouble. His father had been his hero, and Brody had looked up to him his whole life, trying to follow in his footsteps. He knew if his dad were around, he would already have a plan by now. "Come on, dad, what would you do?"

His gave shifted to the Prism. It was all Brody had left of his father. When the Prism landed in their backyard, Dane had done everything he could to protect it, including sacrificing his life.

Brody didn't expect an answer. However, an image appeared on the Power Star, as though it heard his question. Brody watched as the Prism took him back to the day he was kidnapped and showed him his father refusing to give up the Power Star to Galvanax.

"Dad tried to destroy it," Brody said and looked to his star. He had seen his father slice it in half. He had seen the pieces break off and he remembered the rage from his captor when his father did that.

Brody knew his father would never let something so powerful be used for evil. It had been a difficult decision to make, but it had been the right call. Dane had prevented the Power Star from ending up in the wrong hands, even with his life, and the life of his son on the line.

" _The greater good,"_ his father always used to tell him. _"A ninja always fights for the greater good. You make sacrifices to keep the lives of the innocent safe. You protect as many people as you can. It's not an easy decision, but you need to do what's best for the greater good."_

"The greater good," Brody repeated, and he knew what that was. He turned to Mick, "What can destroy a Power Star?"

"Brody…"

"Mick, there's got to be something," he said, but Mick shook his head.

"Why do you want to destroy it?"

"I have to," Brody couldn't believe he was saying that. If he destroyed the Power Star it would be gone and he risked losing his friends as well. However, it would keep power away from Galvanax, and that would protect the greater good.

"I… I don't know," Mick answered.

Suddenly, the alarm went off and Brody, Mick and RedBot went to check the map.

"It's Galvanax," RedBot announced. "And he brought the Rangers!"

"They're alive," Mick smiled when he saw them. They were held against their will and very visibly scared, but they were still alive. "There's hope."

Brody looked to the map, then to the Prism. Once again he saw the image of his father destroying the red Power Star.

"I've got it!" he said. "Mick, come with me!"

"Brody, the others are still alive. We can come up with a plan!"

"I've got one!"

"But…"

"Trust me, Mick, please," Brody begged. "Have I ever let you down before?"

"Well, no but…"

"Come on," Brody said and pulled Mick along behind him.

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah fought against her Kudabots, but it was in vein. Her arms were pulled tightly behind her back and bound and the Kudabots outnumbered her. Though they weren't the most skilled fighters, they were still strong and with enough of them, they could hold her in place.

Galvanax had taken all the Rangers back to Earth. His plan was to work out a deal with Brody so he could get the final Power Star in his hands.

He was then going to destroy the Rangers to ensure they couldn't stop him. He wouldn't tell Brody that, and he had gagged all the Rangers to be sure they wouldn't let his plans slip either.

"He better shows up," Galvanax growled as he paced impatiently before the Rangers. "Otherwise, I won't be happy."

 _This is happy?_ Sarah thought to herself.

Galvanax continued to pace, "He's got ten minutes. If he doesn't show up, I kill one of you."

As if on cue, Brody and Mick rode in on Brody's cycle. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. While she knew Galvanax had planned on killing her and her friends regardless of whether Brody showed up, she didn't want to lose anyone because the red Ranger was running a little late to a meeting.

"Galvanax!" Brody shouted as he got off his cycle and stepped forward. Mick was right behind him, carrying a sword. Brody held up the red Power Star. "Looking for this?"

"Hand it over," Galvanax growled but Brody clutched the Star tightly and shook his head. Galvanax felt his temper rising. "You give me the Power Star and I release your friends."

Brody shook his head, "I'm not here for a trade," he said and took the sword from Mick. "I know that individually, the Stars are powerful. But together, they're unmatched. That means you need this a lot more than I need my friends."

Brody saw the look of horror on the Rangers' face when he said that, and it broke his heart to have them think he wouldn't help them. He had a plan, and if it worked, he knew they would be safe. However, Galvanax couldn't know. Galvanax needed to think that he didn't care for his friends as much as he cared about keeping the Power Star out of his hands.

The truth was that Brody wanted to do both. He wanted to save his friends just as much as he wanted to stop Galvanax.

"Hand it over," Galvanax growled, but Brody shook his head. He threw the Power Star over his head and then with the sword, the same sword his father had used, he sliced his Power Star in half. "NO!"

Brody felt power explode from the star as it broke in three pieces and then the power consumed him and Mick before everything faded to black.

Galvanax stomped his foot as he watched the red Power Star be destroyed. While he still had the others, plus the green Star, he needed Red. He needed it to have unstoppable power. Now that it was destroyed, there was no hope.

He spun around and looked to the Rangers. They were all equally as surprised by Brody's actions, which satisfied him a little. Their friend had left them for dead. Now that the red Power Star was gone, there was no deal to consider honouring.

"Kill them all!" he commanded. The Rangers felt themselves being pushed and pulled as they were forced to their knees and Kudabots lined up before them with blasters at the ready. Without their Ranger Powers to protect them, one blast was all that would be needed for them to die. "Kudabots! Fire!"

Sarah heard the command and saw the Kudabot put its finger on the trigger. She shut her eyes as he pulled and she heard the blast escape the barrel.

She had come so close.


	11. Galvanax's Final Battle

Galvanax had done it. He had the Rangers exactly where he wanted them, and while he would never obtain the red Power Star, five was still better than none.

Still in his rage with Brody for having destroyed the final star, Galvanax gave the command to kill the Rangers. He watched the Kudabots line up before them and he watched them all take the blast at once. He heard the blast go off, he saw the explosion and a smile appeared on his face.

He turned around, looking to his Kudabots, "I want this planet destroyed!" he told them and as they raced off towards the city, he turned back to where the Rangers once stood.

However, they were still there without a scratch on them.

"What?" he roared before he was struck in the back by the Prism. He was knocked off his feet and the Power Stars he had obtained and put on his championship belt flew from his hand. As the Prism came around again and hit him, the Rangers got to their feet. They were quick to break each other's restraints and then picked up their Stars.

Galvanax could see his plan unravelling, but he wouldn't admit defeat. At least the red Ranger was gone. The Rangers were one short, and that had cost them once already.

"Madam Oedius!" he called and she appeared from the ship with a humiliated Drex right behind her. "Take care of these Rangers."

"Go," Madam Oedius commanded Drex and with a growl he charged at them. He was painfully outnumbered now, but he had been programmed to be loyal. That included fighting to the death.

Fortunately for him, Madam Oedius joined the fight. Just as he expected, she was powerful. Easily able to hold off the Rangers while Galvanax stepped away.

"I want nothing to survive," he called out as he unleashed more monsters, then drew his own sword. He hadn't fought a battle in decades, but he was the champion. He would show the planet why he was so worthy of that title.

The Prism came after him one more time, but Galvanax saw it coming. He smashed it with his sword and it backed off. It then started to glow and just when Galvanax thought he had finally bested it, it spit out the red Ranger.

"What?" he growled.

A little way off, the other Rangers saw Brody appear and frowned. They weren't too happy with him right now, but they were also certain that when he destroyed his Power Star, the energy it unleashed had been strong enough to kill him and Mick.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to stop us," Brody said.

Galvanax was fuming. He didn't get it. He had killed all the Rangers. He watched them all die, yet here they were, still standing before him. Still keeping him from having the ultimate Power.

"You don't know when to quit," he growled. "No matter, whether it's one of you, or all seven, you will fall before me."

Suddenly, the Prism spewed out another Ranger. This one was also red, but he had a silver trim where Brody had black. The Ranger appeared confused at first, but when they took note of their suit, they suddenly grew confident.

"Brody! I… I'm a Ranger!"

"Mick?" Brody asked, and the second red Ranger nodded his head.

"Yeah! You did it! It worked!"

"Nice!" Brody smiled, then he turned to Galvanax. "How about you take on all eight of us?"

"But… but…" Galvanax stammered. This couldn't be possible. He had destroyed all seven Rangers and now there was eight of them? Could he not win just once? Never before had he killed something, only to have it come back with a new friend. He shook his head, "No matter, I'll still…"

The Prism started to glow again, and out appeared another red Ranger, only this time with a gold trim. Now, even Brody and Mick appeared confused and Galvanax was outraged.

"We take this as a team?" the red and gold Ranger asked. Brody could swear the voice seemed familiar, but he couldn't figure it out and now wasn't the time to ask. He nodded his head.

"Let's fight."

On the other side of the quarry, Preston stumbled back from a kick from Drex and then looked over to see not just Brody, but Brody and two other red Rangers were fighting Galvanax. He frowned deeply and looked to his teammates.

"Uh… anyone else seeing three of them?"

"When we win, he's going to have a lot of explaining to do," Levi said.

"Yeah, we'll start with why he didn't even try to save us," Calvin muttered. "Then, maybe, we'll tackle the three red Rangers thing."

"I wouldn't worry about explanations," Madam Oedius said as she threw Calvin to the ground and stepped on his chest, only to be tackled off her feet by Hayley. These Rangers weren't too strong for her, but they did have her outnumbered. Just when she thought she had one beat, another would distract her, allowing their friends time to recover. She had three of them to hold off while they could focus all their energy on her.

She looked to Galvanax who was in the same fight. He had three Rangers against him, and two of them he had never even seen before. They also had renewed strength and worked together flawlessly.

Galvanax, meanwhile, was no longer as strong as he had been. He painfully underestimated his opponents and overestimate his own power. Madam Oedius could see it now: this was a losing battle. Galvanax wouldn't walk away alive. He had completely miscalculated this fight and the Rangers weren't going to let him get away.

If Galvanax was destroyed, that would mean three more Rangers for her to face. She couldn't do it.

Fortunately, she had prepared for this. With Galvanax out of the way, she could take over. She could lead. She could devise a flawless plan to stop the Rangers for good. She wouldn't leave them with hope. She wouldn't spare them.

Nor would she limit her attacks to the Rangers. They were too quick on their feet, and they fought together well. Even in the worst of circumstances, they held onto hope and they were willing to fight with everything they had.

Their lives were theirs. They could choose if a risk was worth taking. They could jeopardize their own safety without worry. She had seen them do it when Sarah and Preston allowed Galvanax to find them so they could reveal her plan to him. She had seen it when the other Rangers challenged Galvanax to a fight for their friends, knowing they had no powers.

The Rangers would take any risk to their lives in order to do their work. Madam Oedius could admire that strength, the courage. However, they were still flawed. She had seen it when Sarah and Preston allowed Drex to take them prisoner when he threatened Sarah's mother and Kelly.

The Rangers wouldn't gamble with the lives of the people they cared about. Madam Oedius had seen that, and she was prepared to take full advantage.

A cry was heard and echoed throughout the quarry as Galvanax fell to his knees and then exploded. He was gone. Gone for good.

"It's been fun, Rangers," Madam Oedius said as she turned to flee, kicking down Levi as she hurried off. However, before she made it far, the red and the red and silver Rangers stood before her.

"You're not going anywhere," Brody told her and Madam Oedius looked around, seeing she was surrounded. All three of the red Rangers, as well as white, yellow and gold were closing in. She had nowhere to turn. She would have to fight her way out.

"Drex!" she called and hoped her warrior had won his fight against pink, blue and green. She hoped he would come to her aid. "Drex! Bring down the ship!"

"As you command," Drex said and tripped Preston before he pressed a button on his armour and Galvanax's ship broke through the Earth's atmosphere and landed on the ground by the battle field. Madam Oedius just had to make it to the ship, then she could fly off.

But the Rangers laid into her, and while she could hold her own, she didn't make progress. The ship, in fact, seemed to be a little further away.

"Drex! Help!" she called out and he nodded. She had six Rangers on her, he only had three.

"I've got a plan!" he said and broke away from the Rangers. He rushed into the ship.

"No," Sarah shook her head. She wouldn't let him get away. He had hurt too many people. She followed him in, with Preston and Kelly right behind her.

"Where are you going?" Preston asked. Sarah kept on Drex's tail and stopped when he reached the command center of the ship. He turned around, seeing the three Rangers had followed him inside.

"You made a big mistake defeating Galvanax," he said and started to press some of the controls on the board. "Now, Madam Oedius is free to reign, and no one will question her power. Galvanax died believing her loyalty. Everyone who followed him will follow her. So, if you thought he was bad…"

"Oh, shut up," Sarah rolled her eyes. "Did you not see the Prism spit out three Rangers? Did you not see how we defeated Galvanax and how Madam Oedius begged for _your_ help!"

"I serve her."

"You're losing!" Preston said.

"Lose?" Drex asked. "I don't lose! I'm in control. I'm the one with all the power here. Tell them, babe."

His gaze shifted to Kelly but before he could smirk and wink and knowingly make her uncomfortable, a fist smashed into his face. As he started to fall back, Sarah grabbed his armour and dragged him over to the wall. She threw him against it, then hit him again.

"You really should have killed me when you had a chance," she smirked, then smashed him into the wall again before she threw him across the room. Her Ranger suit gave her strength, but so did her rage. She hated Drex. She hated everything he had done, everything he stood for, and most of all, she hated that he had caused the people she loved so much pain.

As he skidded across the floor, Sarah rushed to the control board. She didn't expect to be able to read anything, given her brain injury, but when she looked to the controls and their labels, she understood it all – like it was in bright, bold, glowing letters.

"I can read?" she asked as Kelly came up behind her while Preston made sure Drex kept his distance.

"You can read that?" Kelly frowned. "Wait, English and Portuguese baffle you, but you can read these scribbles?"

"Scribbles?"

"Alien writing?" Kelly shrugged.

"Uh… I… I guess," Sarah said, then pushed the button that would bring up all the options for her commands.

"So… what does it say?" Kelly asked her. Sarah shushed her.

"I need to think," she said. She needed to destroy the ship. She needed to ensure that Madam Oedius and the rest of her crew wouldn't escape. She needed to doom them like they had doomed her team.

"Uh... I hear people coming!" Preston called out. "We can't assume we're the only ones on board."

"You're so fucked," Drex smirked, but Preston punched him in the mouth.

"It's the rest of his crew," Preston said. "Cosmo Royal, Ripcon, all the warriors on board…"

"I'm working here!" Sarah called back. Normally, she didn't mind the chaos while she worked, but normally the fate of the world didn't depend on which buttons she could press and in which order she pressed them. "Why the hell doesn't this ship just have a big, red, convenient self destruct button. Is nothing easy?"

"Kill them!" Ripcon shouted as he arrived in the command center. Kelly turned and since Sarah was busy and Preston still had his hands full with Drex, she knew she needed to step up.

"Cry later," she told herself. "Sarah…!"

"Almost there," the pink Ranger promised. She was getting closer. Her options were now all explosives. She just needed to find the ones that would blow up the ship, or at least find a way to reprogram the system so the ship would blow itself up. "AHA!"

She pressed the activate button and alarms started to blare and the lights all flashed red. A voice started to count down. Sarah could read the alien language, but she couldn't understand what the voice was saying, so she had no idea how much time she had left.

She grabbed her blaster and shot Drex, freeing up Preston to run, then she did the same with Ripcon.

"Go!" she shouted and followed the blue and green Ranger out. As they emerged from the ship, they saw the others in battle with Madam Oedius. She had inched her way closer to the ship in her attempt to flee, and it was just close enough. When the ship blew up, it would take out everything in the quarry.

All the Rangers included.

"Presto!" she shouted, and Preston knew what to do. He snapped his fingers. The Rangers vanished the same moment the ship blew up.


	12. The Day's Gifts

The explosion could be heard city wide, and it wasn't long before all the news channels were investigating. Jenny heard what happened and her mind assumed the worst.

She rushed to the Ranger base, consumed with panic. She was sure that when she saw all the Rangers, she was just imagining. It didn't help that there were three red Rangers standing in the base.

"Mom!" Sarah called out and set her helmet down on the bench as she raced to Jenny. The moment Jenny felt her daughter jump into her arms and she knew it was a real.

"Thank god," she breathed and squeezed her daughter tight. She looked to all the Rangers and then her gaze rested on the two new red ones. "Who the hell are you?"

She didn't mean for it to come across aggressively. Clearly, they were friends. However, she had just rushed into the command center in a panic thinking her daughter and all the other Rangers were dead. Her heart was still pounding, and adrenaline was still coursing through her body.

However, she wasn't the only one confused. All the Rangers turned to their new friends.

The red and silver Ranger was the first to remove his helmet. Everyone was surprised, but not shocked to see it was Mick. At least that explained his absence in the base.

"That was too much excitement," Mick said. "I don't know how you did that. Any of you."

"So… if that's Mick," Levi said, then glanced quickly to RedBot, "And Redbot is still here, and we're all here… who… who are you?"

He pointed to the red and gold Ranger. The Ranger reached for his helmet and slowly removed it to reveal his face.

No one knew who he was except for the two Rangers with whom he shared a colour.

"D-Dad?" Brody asked then rushed into his father's arms. Levi grabbed his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe his father was standing before him. It hadn't been long since he had recovered his memories and remembered Brody was his brother. It hadn't been long since he remembered that fateful day ten years before. However, since his memories came back, his father's absence had weighed on him heavily. He tried to push it down. He tried to be happy with only having Brody back in his life, but he had missed his father every day.

"Wait, I thought your father died," Preston frowned, then looked to Dane apologetically, "Uh… I mean… no offense."

"None taken," Dane said. Hearing his father's voice, Levi broke down and rushed into his father's arms. Dane hugged both his boys tight. "It's so good to be back."

"But… wait," Hayley said. "How are… I mean… all three of you are red Rangers or… What's happening?"

Brody stepped away from his father. He didn't necessarily want to, but he thought it was time for Levi to get their father to himself for a moment while he explained.

"I didn't realize it until the Prism showed me what happened," Brody said. "But the day the Prism appeared to us, there was only one Power Star inside of it with six different colours. After dad destroyed that, that's when the six Stars appeared."

"So…"

"So, I knew I had to take that chance again," Brody said. "If I could get Galvanax to believe I destroyed the Power Star, I could throw him off his game. I didn't expect it to swallow me whole, though."

"So, you didn't want us to die?" Calvin asked. Brody shook his head.

"No! Never," he answered. "I just… I thought breaking the Power Star would make it harder for Galvanax to get all the power he wanted. After all, getting one Star was a lot easier than collecting all six."

"But you didn't even try making a trade," Preston said. "Galvanax offered it and you… you didn't care."

"I did," Brody said. "Believe me, making Galvanax and you guys think I was ready to lose you was the hardest decision I could make but… the right decision isn't always the one that's easy, or the one that makes you feel good."

Brody turned to his father as she said this and smiled, "Dad destroyed the Power Star ten years ago to keep it out of Galvanax's hands. I thought he killed himself doing it but everything worked out. He made the right call."

"So, you didn't try to get us killed," Hayley reasoned. "But you thought this plan of yours might get you killed?"

"And you did it anyway?" Levi asked, then gently punched his brother. "Dumbass."

"It got away from me a little bit," Brody admitted. "I did think destroying my own Power Star might kill me, but… it saved me. It saved us all. When my Star broke into three, there was enough power in it for me to morph and I guess it helped Mick morph as well."

"So, how did it bring you back to life?" Levi asked. "I mean, we all thought you were dead."

"Trapped," Dane said. "I didn't even know it myself until the third piece of the star appeared and with it I had enough power to escape."

"I guess it makes sense that a Star that gives power to those who want to save innocents wouldn't kill," Brody reasoned, then hugged his father again.

"As fucked up as all this is, we did it," Levi smiled as he looked to his team. "Galvanax is gone, his ship blew up with everyone inside…"

"Drex is gone," Sarah said and turned to her mother. "He gave me no choice."

She then glanced to Kelly and offered her a small smile. Kelly gave a little nod. Both knew they would have to talk later.

"He's gone?" Jenny asked. "Like… for real?"

"For real," Sarah smiled.

"Also, just to add to all this weirdness," Preston said and simultaneously pointed to Mick in his Ranger suit and Dane next to Levi and Brody, "But apparently, Sarah reads alien."

"Alien?" Hayley asked. Sarah shrugged her shoulders.

"Everything in the ship just made sense."

Preston shook his head, "No, it didn't. That was babble, right Kelly?"

"Right," Kelly nodded.

"We… We'll check that out later," Mick promised Sarah, then looked to his Rangers, "For now, the Earth is safe. I think it's best we take this time to relax, recover and enjoy what this day has brought us."

He looked to Brody and couldn't help but smile at the excitement he could see on his face as he looked to his father. It had been all Brody dreamed about since Mick first met him. While Mick never wanted Brody to give up, he always thought finding Aiden – or rather Levi – would be a difficult, if not impossible task. He never thought for a second Brody would ever see his father again.

Yet, the Romero family stood together before him and Mick felt himself tearing up with joy for his friend.

For all the Rangers. They were alive, they were safe, and they had won. He couldn't be prouder.


	13. Bouncing Back

Brody couldn't believe his luck. One minute, it felt like the world was ending. His friends were in danger, he was alone and Galvanax had all the power. The next, Galvanax was gone, his friends were safe, and his father had returned.

Brody didn't think it was possible. He had watched his father die. While a part of him always wanted to hope he would see his father again, he had always believed it would be possible.

But he had felt the power of the Prism himself. When he destroyed his Power Star, the prism had absorbed him and Mick. Sarah had said that energy couldn't be created, nor destroyed, so when Brody broke the Power Star, the energy inside it was now contained into all the pieces. It explained why six Power Star were formed from one after his father had broken it the first time, and why three stars formed from his when he broke it again.

Brody wished he had known that logic when he smashed his star. He wished he had been so confident that his own plan wouldn't get himself killed. He had gone out on a limb destroying his own powers, hoping that his father wouldn't lead him astray and that his actions would result in the safety of the planet as well as the safety of his friends.

It had been a sacrifice he would have been willing to make. Without his friends and with Galvanax as ruler of the planet, Brody wouldn't have wanted to live anyways. Fortunately, it worked out even better than expected.

"So, Levi, huh?" Dane asked and looked to his oldest son.

"You told me to hide," Levi nodded. "I thought it would be harder for anyone to find me if I changed my name."

"I admit, I kind of like it," Dane chuckled. He hadn't been aware of his absence for ten years. Coming out of the Prism felt like waking up from a sleep. He knew he had missed a lot of time, but it felt like just yesterday his boys had been little, training with him in the backyard. It felt like just yesterday he was tucking them into bed, training them to be young ninjas, and singing with them around a campfire. They were all grown up, and while he had missed it all, he was glad to see they had found each other and they were happy. It was all he wanted as their father.

"We kept the house exactly as you left it," Brody said as he brought his father home.

"Which is easy to do when you're not home for ten years," Levi chuckled.

"Preston did take over your room, though," Brody said and looked to the blue Ranger, who had followed them home a little awkwardly. Preston hadn't wanted to intrude on the family reunion, but since he was staying with the brothers and he had been sent home with the other Rangers to rest, he had no choice but to follow them.

"I can find somewhere else to…"

"Nonsense," Dane shook his head. "You need a place, I'm more than happy to let you stay."

"But where will you stay?" Brody asked.

"We'll figure that out," Dane smiled and put his arm around his youngest son. "All you need to know is that I'm not going anywhere."

-Ninja-Steel-

Kelly knew she would need to talk about what happened on Galvanax's ship, but she didn't feel ready. She promised Sarah they would talk in the morning and then followed Hayley home for some rest. Hayley's parents were concerned when their daughters returned late, but Hayley found a way to explain where they had been.

After that, the girls retreated to their bedroom. As Hayley got changed into comfortable clothes, Kelly sat on her bed. Hayley had noticed her friend was unusually quiet and tried to ask about it.

"I'll be okay," Kelly said. Hayley shook her head.

"You don't look like you believe that," she said. "Is it something to do with Drex? He made a lot of comments directed at you in the fight. Was it more than just talk?"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"You and Calvin were alone with him for a bit," Hayley said. "Did he… did he try something?"

"I'd really rather not talk about it," Kelly muttered, then lay down on her futon and pulled the blankets over herself. "I just want to sleep."

"Oh… okay," Hayley said. She backed away and went to her own bed. She quickly texted Calvin a goodnight and let herself get some much-needed rest.

-Ninja-Steel-

Calvin couldn't go home to rest. He couldn't rest. His mind was too busy racing. He had run out that morning. He had challenged Drex. He had set off what was the biggest fight his friends had ever faced. He fought against him. He was the reason they were captured. He was the reason Drex could put his hands on Kelly.

He received a goodnight text from Hayley, and while it made him smile for a moment, it couldn't cheer him up. He had told her he would see her in the morning and that, for now, he just wanted to be alone. To tired to argue, Hayley let him go.

But Calvin didn't go home. Instead, he walked around the neighbourhood, thinking about everything that had happened during the day and imagining all the ways it could have ended.

He stopped in front of Sarah's house and realized he still hadn't asked her if she was okay. Before the fight, the last time he saw her, she had been having a seizure. She had joined the battle after, cleared by herself or Mick or Jenny to fight. But Calvin still didn't know if she was really okay, or if she had just decided to take the risk, knowing her friends needed her for something more important.

Next thing he knew, he had knocked on the door and Jenny answered it. She looked a little baffled to see him.

"You should be resting," she said and let him in. Calvin nodded his head.

"Is Sarah home?"

"She's resting," Jenny said. "Why are you here? Why aren't you with Hayley, or home?"

"Too much on my mind," Calvin sighed. He walked into the kitchen and sat down. There was no one else he could talk to. He couldn't explain everything to his parents. They would freak out. They had lost their minds when they saw the scratches Sarah had inflicted on him a few weeks back. He couldn't imagine what they would try to do, or who they might try to sue if they found out he had been a Power Ranger.

"Like what?" Jenny asked and started to boil some water for tea. She had been about to make it for herself to help unwind. She grabbed an extra mug for Calvin.

"Is Sarah okay?"

"She's fine."

"I mean… with the seizure."

"She's fine," Jenny said with a little chuckle. "I mean, I can't say I wasn't a little freaked out when it happened but… people with epilepsy do have seizures. It's kind of what that means."

"Why did it happen? Was it the accident? Jenny, if I had seen that truck coming, I would have done something. It came out of nowhere and…"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Jenny said and put her hand on Calvin's arm. "Everything is fine. It's okay, Calvin. You did everything right. This isn't your fault. You were in that truck too Calvin. She's not the only victim."

"Yeah, but…"

"Calvin, if there's anyone to blame, it the dumbasses who thought they could drink and drive. They're the ones who should be wracked with guilt right now, not you. When Sarah needed you, you were there, and I can't thank you enough for that."

"You want to thank me?"

Jenny nodded her head, "I don't know when it started happening but where that kid is concerned, I tend to go nuclear."

"Nuclear?"

"It's a term my brothers and I used to describe my mom when she went a little over the top, either protecting us or scolding us," Jenny chuckled. "She would always say that if anything happened to us, she wouldn't know what to do, and just the thought of that happening would freak her out so much, she'd go nuclear. I take after her."

"So… you're going to go nuclear?"

"I don't have to," Jenny smiled. "I can't control what Sarah gets up to when she leaves the house, and lord knows that she can be a handful. I mean, even before this Ranger stuff started, Bill would get calls from her school where the principal would use words like 'hoverboarding on school property' and 'too smart for her own good', whatever that last one means. And Bill would worry about her all the time and… it's hard. So, I'm just glad, when she needed someone, you were there. It means I don't always have to be. And I can't tell you how much of a relief that is, as a single parent."

"Well, you do a good job," Calvin said. "Sarah's lucky."

"Thanks," Jenny beamed. It wasn't something she heard often anymore, mostly because she was a single parent. When Bill had been alive, they would offer each other praise and appreciation for good parenting. Jenny would always tell him how good he was with Sarah and that he was an excellent father. And whenever she felt she needed to step up, Bill always supported her decisions. "Trust me, it's a lot easier to be a good mom when you know your kid has great friends. I know you have the best of intentions, Calvin. I know if you saw it coming, or if knew what would happen, you would have stopped it. But there are some things we can't avoid."

"I know."

"Running off to face Drex on your own, however…"

"You know about that?" Calvin said nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Sarah tells me everything," Jenny nodded. "What exactly were you thinking?"

"I snapped, I think."

"That's understandable. Why the Prism chose teenagers to defend the planet, I'll never know," Jenny answered. "But with the fate of the world in your hands, you can't just snap. You can't make these impulsive decisions. You're so lucky everything worked out, Calvin."

"I know."

"You're a good kid. Keep making good choices," Jenny squeezed his arm and Calvin smiled. Then they heard Sarah racing down the stairs.

"Mom! We have to…" Sarah trailed off when she saw Calvin in her kitchen with her mother and she frowned. "What's going on?"

"Calvin just needed a pep talk," Jenny said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, but we need to go."

"Go? Go where?" Jenny asked.

"We need to see Kelly. She's lost it!"

"Lost it?"

"Like… screaming and crying and… Hayley texted 911."

"I didn't get a message," Calvin pulled out his phone to check, confirming that since he didn't have a message, the emergency text must have been about Kelly.

"Mom! We have to go!" Sarah called out and was already rushing to the door. Jenny got to her feet and grabbed her purse.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!"


	14. Another Survivor

Hayley sat on her front porch, waiting for Sarah and Jenny to arrive. She had sent an emergency text to Sarah just a few minutes before saying she needed to come over and telling her that Kelly wasn't well. Hayley had awoken to the sound of Kelly crying, and when her attempts to console her only made Kelly more upset, she knew she would need help.

Jenny's car pulled into the driveway and Hayley saw Jenny, Sarah and Calvin climb out. She frowned, seeing her boyfriend had tagged along.

"I was at their house when you texted," Calvin explained. "I needed to clear my head."

Hayley nodded then turned to Jenny and Sarah, "She just snapped. I can't get a word out of her. Mom and dad are in there now but she's still flipping out."

Sarah rushed inside the house. She didn't need to know more. She made her way past the Foster parents and up to Kelly and Hayley's room. She knocked before she opened the door slowly and saw Kelly sitting in her bed, drenched in sweat and trembling as she tried to hold back her sobs.

"She just stopped," Ann, Hayley's mother, told Sarah. "But she won't talk."

Sarah nodded and sat down next to her girlfriend. Ann, joined by Jenny, tried to stay to see what was going on, but Sarah asked them to leave. She had a feeling she knew what happened and she regretted letting Kelly convince her to wait until morning to talk.

"I'll be fine," she promised them as they shut the door. Sarah then turned to Kelly, "Is it what I think it is?"

"He's not dead," Kelly whispered. "I thought he was but… he was just here."

"Who?"

"Drex."

"Drex died in the explosion," Sarah said.

"He was here," Kelly said. "He came in, while I was sleeping and… he did it again."

"He did what?" Sarah asked. She wouldn't utter the words herself. She didn't want to put her ideas in Kelly's head. If something happened, Kelly needed to say it for herself.

However, Kelly did confirm what Sarah suspected, "He raped me."

Sarah felt her blood boil. She knew anytime Drex was alone with a girl, he would try to force himself onto her. He had tried twice with the pink Ranger, but Sarah had been able to hold him off. It had been no easy task. Sarah had to use all the strength she had and then some to get herself out of trouble.

"Kelly…"

"And he did it again," Kelly whispered.

"When?"

"Now," she said. Sarah looked around the room and there was no sign that Drex had been near it. The sheets were wet, but Kelly was drenched in sweat. There was no sign of a break in and Hayley had been in the room with Kelly resting. She would have known if it happened.

"I think it was a nightmare."

"He was here!" Kelly shouted.

"Okay, okay," Sarah conceded, because really, it didn't matter what the truth was. Whether Drex had been in the room or not, he had just violated Kelly again. So, Sarah put her arm around her girlfriend and held her. "He's not here anymore. You're safe now. He's dead."

"But…"

"I'll prove it to you," Sarah told her. "We'll find his body, or anything that shows you he's dead for good. Whatever you need, we'll do it."

-Ninja-Steel-

"You know, you're kind of becoming this kid's Serena," Rebecca pointed out to Gia as the Silver Guardian strapped on her vest. It wasn't often Gia liked to work nights, but when duty called, she knew she had to answer.

Going back to work had been tough without Jordan, but Gia knew he would want her to keep going. He would want her to continue helping people in anyway she could. She also knew that, though he couldn't be replaced, Jordan would want her to work with a partner. She always did better when she had someone reminding her not to do anything stupid.

She didn't like trusting strangers, especially with her life, so she had hired Rebecca to be her partner. She knew she worked well with her and Rebecca was only too eager to take the job.

"Turns out, I like helping."

"No one's saying otherwise," Rebecca said. "So, you're just going to take her and her girlfriend to the spot where an alien spaceship blew up to find a body?"

"Yep."

"Okay, I'd have more luck telling you what colour the walls are than you have of finding one specific body at the site of an explosion."

"The walls are grey."

"Oh, that's boring," Rebecca muttered. "You couldn't colour them like… orange or purple or something a little more fun."

"Good idea," Gia muttered sarcastically. "And while we're at it, maybe I'll tell Wes and Eric to rename us the Purple Guardians."

"Hey, just because the name is silver, doesn't mean the walls have to be," Rebecca muttered.

"You're blind. Just pretend the walls are whatever colour you want," Gia said. "Are you going to be fine here by yourself?"

"Isn't Tiger staying with me?"

"Tiger's coming," Gia said. "Just because the ship blew up, doesn't mean all the monsters are dead. Tiger can warn us in case there's trouble."

"Do you want me to come?"

"I'll be fine," Gia promised. She took Tiger down to her truck and drove out to the quarry in Summer Cove. Unlike her own monsters, it seemed Galvanax didn't feel the need to level an entire city in his final battle and instead settled on a place where there would be no civilian casualties. It made Gia's job a lot easier, since she would often be called when Ranger battles made a mess.

When she finally made it out to the quarry, she hopped out of the truck and let Tiger out. She had been by once already to block off access to the quarry to the public and examine the site herself to confirm the death toll (humans: one. Monsters: seventy-two). She knew where Drex's body was and would be able to lead Sarah and her girlfriend straight there.

They arrived on Sarah's hoverboard. When they hopped off, Kelly was immediately alarmed by Tiger's presence, but Sarah called the big cat over. Tiger was only to happy to oblige as she remembered Sarah from a rescue and knew her as the only human to get so close to her without freaking out at first. Tiger had jumped in to protect Sarah while Gia and Jordan dealt with her captors, and instead of trying to run from the cat, Sarah had been excited to be so close to a tiger.

Kelly was in complete shock when she saw her girlfriend get tackled by Tiger, and then when the cat rolled over to get her stomach scratched.

"You're absolutely insane," she told Sarah, who looked up with a laugh.

"You've met Gia before, right?"

"At the Ribbon Tree," Kelly nodded as Gia approached. She shook the Guardian's hand. "You're Sarah's friend?"

"Here to help," Gia smiled. "She tells me you're looking for a body."

"Drex," Sarah said. "Kelly needs to know he's dead."

"Can I ask why?" Gia asked. Sarah turned to Kelly and offered a little nod.

"She might be able to help if you tell her. It is her job."

"But he's dead. What is she going to do?"

"She doesn't just arrest people," Sarah said. "She helped me help Melanie."

"My job is about helping people," Gia told Kelly with a smile. "Sometimes, the handcuffs just get a lot of use for my job to get done."

"Tell her," Sarah said. Kelly took a deep breath.

"You… you know how he's a pimp, right?"

"Charged him," Gia nodded. "And I have a brain that doesn't forget."

"Gia's a Ranger, so you can tell her the whole story," Sarah said.

Kelly nodded then pointed to the ship, "When Drex brought me up there after taking me… the first thing he did was made me… have sex with him."

"What do you mean?" Gia asked and all her mental alarms were going off.

"He raped me," Kelly admitted. "And… he just came back, just an hour ago, and he did it again."

"That was a nightmare," Gia said then walked with Kelly over to the spot where she had left Drex's body for the clean-up crew. She found him exactly as she left him – very obviously dead. "But they feel real, don't they?"

Kelly nodded. She didn't want to believe that she had imagined the second rape, but seeing Drex's dead body for herself, she knew she had to believe Sarah and Gia. She knew it needed to be a nightmare and not reality. Her eyes started to well up with tears. Gia turned to Sarah.

"Hey, Tiger's been on duty since last night and needs to be played with a bit. Mind heading back to the truck and getting her ball? She loves when you kick it around for her."

"Are you going to be okay?" Sarah asked Kelly, who nodded.

"I think so."

"I've got this," Gia promised. Sarah smiled, grabbed Tiger by the vest and walked with her to the truck. Gia kicked over some of the debris to cover Drex's face and then found a spot where she and Kelly could sit down.

Kelly let out a heavy sigh, "You probably think I'm nuts," she said. "Telling you Drex raped me again when he's dead."

"You're not nuts," Gia said. "It's trauma. Your body doesn't know what to do and your brain is still trying to process what happened. It's going to relieve it all, again and again. With nightmares and flashbacks and… all that stuff that's going to make life hell."

"Is that what they told you at the Academy?"

"It's what happened to me," Gia sad. "I don't go around advertising it. In my line of work, I can't have criminals knowing what might set me off but before I was a Guardian, I was raped too."

"Really?"

"My family knows. My friends know. They help me through it. I still have bad days where all I can think about is the times when it happened."

"Times?"

"Until my husband, I was lousy at picking men," Gia said. "But my husband, god, I made him work so hard," Gia chuckled. "But he managed. He proved to me that I was worth more than what I believed. He showed me that just because something horrific had happened to me, that it didn't mean I deserved it. In fact, all my friends showed me that."

"I tried to fight him off, I really did…"

"Kelly, I don't need to know what you did. I don't need to know if you fought, if you complied, if you wanted to at first and then didn't, if you were drunk, sober, or wearing a mini-skirt and bra. All I need to know is how you perceived the act. Did you want it to happen? If not, it's rape, and it's not your fault."

"I didn't want it," Kelly said.

"Do you have a phone?" Gia asked and Kelly took it from her pocket. The Silver Guardian took it.

"I'm putting in my work number, with the extension, my partner's number, and my personal number. Anytime you feel like this is too much, like you need to talk, or like everyone around you just doesn't get it and you're going nuts, call. Even at three AM. Deal?"

"You'll take my call at three in the morning?"

"Or in the afternoon," Gia nodded and smiled. "If you need anything, from a reminder than you're not what he did to you, to who to speak to about this, or anything else, you give me a call. If you need to see again that Drex is dead, give me a call."

"I want him dead and buried."

"How about burned?" Gia suggested. "I didn't tell the city about Drex. He was working for the monsters, that makes him a monster. If he goes missing, no one will know."

"What?"

"There's matches in my truck," Gia said. "And gasoline. Light his ass on fire."

"You're police!" Kelly said with a chuckle. "Shouldn't you be steering me away from arson?"

"I couldn't sleep well until I knew Cliff was gone for good. You've seen Drex's body. You know he's dead but… it really helped to know he's gone. Like, can't come back to life, gone."

"Now I'm worried he's going to come back to life."

"So burn the fucker," Gia said. "He won't be missed. Besides, he's already dead. Who are you hurting?"

Kelly shrugged her shoulders, so Gia walked her out to the truck and grabbed a match and the gasoline. They walked back to Drex and Gia poured the gas over his body.

"You want to throw the match, or should I?"

"Am I losing eyebrows?" Kelly asked.

"Hopefully not," Gia answered. She swiped the match and created a flame, then handed it to Kelly, "God, I wish I could have done this to Cliff."

Kelly tossed the match and right away Drex's body went up in flames. Gia put her arm around the younger girl.

"You are not another statistic," she said to Kelly. "You're going to have good days and you're going to have days where all you can do is think about Drex. It's okay. It's okay to be happy, it's okay to be sad. It's okay to forget about him and forget this ever happened. It's okay if this is all you can think about it for days, weeks or even months. Just… from one survivor to another, don't let this become your life. Don't let what he did consume you, because the minute you let that happen, that's when he wins again. You're the one with the power now. You have control. This is your life, your body, own it."

"Promise," Kelly nodded.

"Oh, and that one over there," Gia said and turned around to point at Sarah, who was watching the fire with Tiger from a distance. "She's crazy about you for a reason. Listen to her, instead of the voices in your head when you're having a bad day. Because, trust me, she's right. Not them. After all, she brought you here. The voices made you believe Drex was still alive."

Kelly managed a smile and a little laugh, then looked up at Gia, "You're pretty cool, you know."

"I know," Gia nodded. "I have a pet tiger, after all."


End file.
